This National Apprenticeship Week, Dame Caroline Spelman MP is celebrating the vital contribution of apprentices in Meriden.
Since 2010 there have been 7,800 apprenticeship starts in Meriden, and over 1.2 million new apprenticeship starts nationally since 2015. Take up of higher-level apprenticeships in 2016-17 was up by nearly 35 per cent compared to 2015 -16.
Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Conservative Government’s strategy to expand opportunity and develop the skilled workforce the country needs. This includes working with industry to deliver an ambitious target of 3 million new apprenticeship starts by 2020.
However, looking forward the Government has acknowledged that there is still more to do and recently launched an education and funding review that will help people make more effective choices between the different options available to them. The move is aimed at promoting parity of esteem between technical and academic pathways.
Commenting on the figures, Dame Caroline Spelman said,
‘”Apprenticeships allow people to earn while they learn, and open doors to highly skilled, rewarding careers. This Government’s reforms are not only increasing apprenticeship numbers, but also driving up the quality of apprenticeships, meaning they have real value in the jobs market.
“I am delighted to see that over 7,800 apprenticeships have been undertake since 2010 and would encourage more young people to consider an apprenticeship as a pathway to a rewarding career”.