Are apprenticeships still the way forward?

This week, Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said that he thought too few apprenticeships were delivering the necessary skills and weren’t cost-effective. In a newly published report, he states that only 5% of 16-year-olds took up apprenticeships, accusing schools of not correctly preparing pupils for the world of work.

At a meeting of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), he said: “Our report today lays bare what many have long suspected. Despite the increase in numbers, very few apprenticeships are delivering the professional, up-to-date skills in the sectors that need them most. 

“Employers and providers involved in poor-quality, low-level apprenticeships are wasting public funds. They are abusing the trust placed in them by government and apprentices to deliver meaningful, high-quality training.”

The report also argues that by pushing to create a larger number of apprenticeships, the government is actually causing them to be of a lesser quality – thereby “devaluating” the apprenticeship brand as a whole. 

Sir Michael Wilshaw called for education organisations and employers to take “urgent action” to help raise the quality of all apprenticeships.

He said: “Being an apprentice should be a badge of honour. The reforms now working their way through the system are commendable. But we are kidding ourselves if we think our good intentions are enough. We have won the argument over the value of apprenticeships. We have yet to make them a sought-after and valid alternative career choice for hundreds of thousands of young people.”

On both a personal and a professional level, I believe strongly in the value of apprenticeships to young people and businesses. We read so many stories about young people struggling to get on the career ladder and of them having to deal with rising University fees, but we don’t hear enough about the opportunities apprenticeships offer young people to gain much-needed work experience while receiving a regular income.  

Sir Michael Wilshaw’s statements show that I’m not alone in thinking that apprenticeships can offer a sustainable way to transition young people from school to the workplace, as well as a way to address the serious skills gaps our country experiences in certain industries, such as engineering. But it is important we take them seriously and don’t consider apprenticeships as an excuse for cheap labour. In my opinion, they should always lead to useful qualifications and work prospects.

I’m proud that nearly 4% of our employees across the 13 companies that make up Brookfield Rose are apprentices and, unlike some other firms, we pay them well above the legal minimum. We want our apprentices to feel confident in their role and in control of their career, which is why we invest heavily in their training, working with a network of training providers to offer the best apprenticeship programme. Each apprentice has direct access to various mentors within the organisation that they can go to for help, support and guidance, which we believe pays dividends to all parties involved. 

For more information about apprenticeships and other career opportunities at Brookfield Rose, please visit our career website. 

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