Incompetent managers will sink the government’s NEETs plan Opinion Scrapping all funding for management apprenticeships is a big mistake, says Petra Wilton If Pat McFadden wants more young people not in education, employment or training (known as NEETs) to succeed in work, this week’s decision to essentially wipe out all funding for management apprenticeships, which train the managers who hire, support and coach them [...]
The graduate crisis: hundreds of thousands sign on to welfare Opinion The myth is surely shattered; university is not a springboard into the future and a degree does not guarantee you a job. New analysis reveals that over 700,000 university graduates are out of work and claiming benefits. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), which studied data from the Labour Force Survey and the Department for [...]
Apprenticeships can benefit the City – but only if we choose to use them Opinion Higher apprenticeships are transforming financial and professional services by offering debt-free, practical pathways into well-paid jobs – yet their full potential remains underutilised, says Robert Halfon When I began my career in Parliament 14 years ago, many viewed apprenticeships as a route into traditional crafts such as manufacturing, construction and electricals. Since then, our understanding [...]
Checkatrade CEO: ‘My plan to get Britain growing again’ February 20, 2025 The chief executive of Checkatrade has revealed what he would like the government to change in order to boost British businesses and get the country growing again. Speaking during an up-coming episode of Morning Wire’s Boardroom Uncovered interview series, Jambu Palaniappan argued Labour should reform the rules around planning permission to made it easier for [...]
Apprenticeships: Relaxing maths and English rules welcomed by firms February 11, 2025 Firms have welcomed the government’s plans to relax rules around maths and English requirements for apprentices as improving “flexibility and inclusivity”. Apprentices aged 19 and above will no longer be forced to complete English and maths functional skills qualifications in order to qualify, which the Department for Education (DfE) said would allow some 10,000 more [...]
Apprenticeships are the answer to getting young people in work November 29, 2024 Once, the UK looked enviously at the German and Swiss “skills miracles,” renowned for their robust apprenticeship systems and highly skilled workforces. Today, the tables have turned. Many countries now look to Britain as a beacon of innovation in skills development and apprenticeships, says Robert Halfon The government has just released a White Paper on [...]
‘Simply not working’: Apprenticeships fall by 40 per cent since levy introduced May 21, 2024 The number of new apprenticeships has fallen by more than 40 per cent since the training levy was introduced in 2017, according to research by a professional body.
The Notebook: How to make an effective change this World Earth Day April 22, 2024 Reed CEO James Reed takes the Notebook pen to talk Liz Truss, training the next gen, and effective charity through the Big Give.