I am writing in response to your article on the government’s pledge to increase the number of apprenticeship places (‘Denham pledges apprenticeships for all by 2013’, Personneltoday.com, 15 July).
Skills secretary John Denham is calling for every suitable school leaver to be offered a chance to work as an apprentice, and urging businesses to address the under-representation of ethnic minority groups in certain areas, and of women in certain professions.
Apprenticeship schemes will not be right for everyone, but by engaging with young people early on, employers can help young people understand what type of work is available, what is involved and what skills are required.
This is the only way young people are going to make informed choices, and build employable and relevant skills. As a result, employers will be able to make a significant difference to the potential workforce and build sustainable cost effective recruitment strategies, while also helping the country to build a competitive workforce.
Tanja Kuveljic, managing director, B-live
