May 9, 2008

MP WELCOMES MASSIVE RISE IN APPRENTICESHIPS

The number of people completing apprenticeships in Rotherham rose by 88 per cent between 2002/03 and 2005/06.

Across the country, the number of young people and adults successfully completing apprenticeships more than doubled in the same three years.

Completion rates are up from 24 per cent in 2001/02 to 63 per cent in 2006/07.

More than 400,000 people have completed apprenticeships since 2001/02. And by 2020, Labour aim for that number to have risen further to 190,000 a year. The funding for apprenticeships is being increased from £900million in 2007-08 to more than £1billion in 2010-11.

Wentworth MP John Healey said: “We know that academic excellence is not the only way to get on in life – vocational routes are just as important. Excellent education and training should be available to everyone, not just the privileged few.

“Apprenticeships are great opportunities for people to get on in work and life. And I know that businesses locally will be reaping the rewards of training apprenticeships.

“Upskilling our population is good for the economy – we live in an increasingly competitive world and we must unlock the talents of all our people to remain strong and prosperous.”

Labour is also raising the participation age, to 17 from 2013 and 18 from 2015, so that every young person can stay on in education or training.

David Lammy, Labour’s Skills Minister, said: “Apprenticeships are great opportunities to get a foot on the career ladder, learn new skills and gain qualifications in a range of industries from engineering to media. That’s why Labour is committed to increasing both the quantity and quality of apprenticeships for young people and adults.

“Today, one in 15 young people take an apprenticeship. Labour’s ambition is that within the next decade, we will encourage enough employers to come forward so that one in five young people will take an apprenticeship.

“But Labour doesn’t just care about quantity, we care about quality too. Apprenticeships are now rigorously quality assessed via Ofsted.”