Carolyn Mason, head of education and training at the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), has welcomed a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) on the Government’s proposals for apprenticeships.
The report, entitled ’16 to 18 year old participation in education and training’, raised a number of questions about the proposals for greater employer investment, and expressed concerns that changes to the funding system could lead to fewer employers taking on apprentices.
Carolyn Mason said: “We welcome the National Audit Office’s response and recommendations, which support our position and concerns we raised earlier in the year. A survey we, the JIB, NET and JTL commissioned back in April showed that 86% of employers in our industry felt that the proposed changes to funding would deter businesses from taking on apprentices. There are real concerns in our industry at the lack of detail around the new funding mechanism and its potential impact on SMEs, and anecdotal evidence suggests that employers are becoming reluctant to recruit apprentices because of the uncertainty around costs.”
She continued: “We will continue to lobby for a sector exemption so that our industry’s apprenticeship heritage isn’t damaged by these proposals. There’s a very real risk that our current approach, which has delivered more than 50,000 Level 3 Apprenticeships over the last 25 years could be dismantled and replaced by something far less suitable and efficient – a result we all want to avoid.”
Mason concluded: “The next few years will be crucial for the sector as we emerge from recession, and, at a time when the industry is facing a real and serious skills crisis we need to make sure that employers are encouraged and supported to take on apprentices, rather than being deterred by uncertainty.”
