NAS Prospectus
This Government has rescued Apprenticeships, having more than trebled their number since 1997 to almost a quarter of a million today. Last year was a record year for Apprenticeships with the highest ever starts, completions and completion rate.
Just over a year ago, in World-class Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for All, we set out our ambitions to further strengthen and expand the Apprenticeships programme in England - ambitions which are even more important in today's challenging economic climate. We are delighted with the progress that has already been made towards achieving our ambitions.
And we are committed to going further. In the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, currently before Parliament, we are introducing legislation which, for the first time, will put the Apprenticeship programme on a statutory basis and ensure that an Apprenticeship place is available for all suitably qualified young people by 2013.
We are consulting on a new Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England, which will set out statutory requirements for each recognised Apprenticeship framework.
Improved guidance will be published for schools to ensure impartial information, advice and guidance is given on careers, continued education and training options, including Apprenticeships, in the best interests of the student.
And we have now put in place the National Apprenticeship Service, our dedicated service to help learners and employers negotiate the journey from having an initial interest in Apprenticeships, to active engagement, and on to realisation of the benefits. A key part of this service is the new online system for Apprenticeship vacancy matching which is already proving successful in bringing together employers and prospective Apprentices. The Prospectus sets out how the National Apprenticeship Service, under the auspices of Simon Waugh as its Chief Executive, will deliver an improved Apprenticeship system to fulfil our ambitions.
Apprenticeships are central to our plans for developing the nation's skills base and over the past decade we have stimulated their renaissance in the economy. Increasingly, Apprenticeships are being seen by employers and employees alike as an effective way to get the relevant skills training to help secure a good, well paid job, perhaps one of the jobs of the future. We have rescued Apprenticeships and built them up so they are well on their way to taking their rightful place as a mainstream training option for young people. Last year saw a record high 225,000 people starting Apprenticeships - up 22% on the previous year. And our ambition is to see that rise still further.
We do not underestimate the challenge ahead. Yet we are confident that, with the new legislation, more robust standards, and the introduction of the National Apprenticeship Service, we are taking the right steps to ensure that Apprenticeships take their place at the heart of our national skills strategy. This Prospectus provides an introduction to our new National Apprenticeship Service and sets out how it will deliver the step-change in Apprenticeships to which we aspire.
John Denham Ed Balls
Secretary of State for Secretary of State for
Innovation, Universities Children, Schools
and Skills and Families
View/download the NAS Prospectus - May 2009 (PDF 708kb) »
Last Updated: 09/09/2009