Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

ApprenticeshipsEconomics, government & businessLatest NewsLearning & development

Apprenticeships review calls for focus on employers

by Personnel Today 27 Nov 2012
by Personnel Today 27 Nov 2012

The definition of apprenticeships has been “stretched too far”, according to a government-commissioned review published today.

The Richard Review, compiled by entrepreneur and former Dragon’s Den star Doug Richard, recommends that apprenticeships last at least one year and genuinely train someone for a new role.

The report highlights a rapid increase in the number of apprenticeships in England in recent years, but warns that the traditional relationship between employer and apprentice had been lost. It also highlights concerns around quality: some apprenticeships are as short as three months, while others have been criticised for being used to train existing staff rather than helping a new employee to gain crucial job skills.

Richard said: “Everyone agrees that apprenticeships are a good thing – but only when they are ‘true’ apprenticeships. With the myriad of learning experiences that are currently labelled as apprenticeships, we risk losing sight of the core features of what makes apprenticeships work, so my conclusion is that we need to look again at what it means to be an apprentice and what it means to offer an apprenticeship as an employer.

“Apprenticeships need to be high-quality training with serious kudos and tangible value both to the apprentice and the employer. I want to hear about an 18-year-old who looked at their options and turned down a place at Oxbridge to take up an apprenticeship if that is the right path for them.”

While Richard acknowledged that some work-related skills can be learnt in a shorter time, he believes it takes time for “the individual to transform from an apprentice to a skilled worker”. Training someone who has been in the job for a long time should not be called an apprenticeship, he added.

Richard also called for employers – rather than government – to define a new set of qualifications setting out what an apprentice should be able to do at the end of their training, which should include a set of skills broad enough for them to use in other jobs. Too many vocational qualifications suffer from “bureaucratic box ticking assessment” at present, the report says.

The report was welcomed by ministers and employers’ groups. Business secretary Vince Cable said: “[Richard’s] recommendations will help us to tailor a programme which is sustainable, high-quality and meets the changing needs of our economy in the decades to come.”

Katerina Rudiger, skills adviser at the Chartered Institure of Personnel and Development, said: “Today’s recommendations from the Richard Review of Apprenticeships are welcome, with a clear emphasis on employers owning the process of defining what a good apprenticeship looks like, and on funding for apprenticeships being channelled through employers. Together, these recommendations will deliver far greater employer collaboration and ownership of the apprenticeships system.

“Apprenticeships are a growing success story. But future skills needs are an urgent priority for employers and the UK economy. Having commissioned Doug Richard to complete this important work, it is now imperative that the Government commits to implementing these recommendations, and acts to do so quickly.”

Steve Radley, director of policy at manufacturers’ organisation EEF, urged the Government to respond positively to the recommendations and implement them quickly. “While recent increases in apprenticeship volumes are welcome, we have not seen a matching increase in value,” he said. “[Richard] rightly recommends that any future apprenticeships strategy must be based on three key elements – raising our level of ambition, giving employers the power to set standards and creating a dynamic market in apprenticeship training where the funding follows the employer that is making the investment.”

For more information on apprenticeships, see Personnel Today’s employers’ guide on the topic.

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
Talent management: What can metrics really tell you on-demand webinar
next post
Talent management: What can metrics really tell you?

You may also like

CV fraudster stripped of earnings after lying about...

19 Aug 2022

Migrant workers to be asked to fill care...

19 Aug 2022

HMRC employee without driving licence wins disability discrimination...

19 Aug 2022

Huge profits at owner of P&O Ferries in...

19 Aug 2022

Personnel Today Awards 2022 shortlist: Apprenticeship Employer of...

19 Aug 2022

Women’s health, the workplace and ‘big data’ –...

19 Aug 2022

Oven-Ready HR Reheated part 1: Gethin Nadin, Charlotte...

19 Aug 2022

Will the Scale-up visa increase the UK’s flow...

18 Aug 2022

Fall in number of students accepted on degree...

18 Aug 2022

Travel disruption: employers’ questions answered

18 Aug 2022
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+