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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW 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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW 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+

Latest NewsPersonnel TodayLearning & developmentThe HR profession

Number of apprentices aged over 50 doubled in 2008/9

by Daniel Thomas 7 Oct 2010
by Daniel Thomas 7 Oct 2010

The number of people over the age of 50 joining apprenticeship schemes more than doubled between 2007 and 2009, puncturing the stereotype that people in later life are reluctant to learn new skills, age campaigners said today.

Skills Funding Agency figures, obtained by campaign groups Age UK and The Age and Employment Network (TAEN), show that the number of people aged over 50 who have enrolled on apprenticeship schemes rose from 2,605 in 2007/8 to 5,376 in 2008/9.

Among them, there are now more than 400 people in their 60s and 13 in their 70s, including the oldest apprentice in the country, aged 76, the figures reveal.

The number of apprentices aged over 25 first rocketed in 2007/08 from just 300 to 27,200 after the Government started funding apprenticeships for this age group. Prior to this, the record shows only a handful of apprentices over the age of 50 enrolled on early pilot schemes.

However, the number is likely to drop for 2009/10 after funding for adult apprentices was scaled back last year.

The sixth series of The Apprentice began on BBC1 last night, with the oldest participant aged just 31, but Chris Ball, chief executive of TAEN, said apprentices are not all young people starting out in their working lives.

“These figures demonstrate that ever larger numbers of older people have been seizing opportunities to retrain and pursue new career paths despite the challenges of recession,” he said.

“Many bosses, in particular, are to be applauded for giving older workers the chance to develop their skills by taking apprenticeships within their organisation. However, we believe that more employers need to follow suit and make it possible for those in later life to take apprenticeships so that they can continue to contribute their skills and dedication to businesses and the wider economy.”

Michelle Mitchell, Age UK charity director, said: ‘It’s great to see so many 50-plus workers snap up the opportunity to upgrade their skills or make a fresh start with their careers through an apprenticeship. This 5,000-strong army of silver apprentices is a refreshing sight which defies the stereotype that older people are reluctant to learn new skills.”

The Apprentice blog on Personnel Today

With The Apprentice now under way, Personnel Today is once again bringing you “The Apprentice Analysed” blog. It takes a serious look at what makes the candidates tick. Featuring posts from Professor Binna Kandola, we analyse the candidates for their leadership skills, and have produced a league table that predicts the winner.

Avatar
Daniel Thomas

previous post
End final-salary pensions in the public sector, says Lord Hutton
next post
Dragons’ Den star Bannatyne ‘just wrong’ about Equality Act

You may also like

‘It’s International HR Day – wait, you didn’t...

20 May 2022

Policeman dubbed ‘Dolly Parton’ for working Nine to...

20 May 2022

Adapt culture to hybrid work: do not force...

20 May 2022

Women in FTSE 350 leadership: ‘A lot of...

20 May 2022

City firms pledge to improve social mobility in...

20 May 2022

Squishy, flabby, foggy HR? Andrew Bartlow talks to...

20 May 2022

Movers and shakers May 2022: John Lewis and...

20 May 2022

City workers desert offices in favour of hybrid...

20 May 2022

Working from home statistics show three-fold increase

20 May 2022

Statutory sick pay reforms would save £4bn

19 May 2022
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW 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+