Careers guidance could scupper apprenticeships expansion

The UK's Apprenticeship renaissance could stall if careers information and guidance is not overhauled warns a major new report, Progression through Apprenticeships, published today.

Leading educationalists, employers and apprentices gave evidence to the Skills Commission inquiry over a six-month period. The resulting report states too few young people, of all academic abilities, are taking up Apprenticeships due to inadequate careers advice but also a lack of clear progression routes.

One of the major issues uncovered during the inquiry is that careers guidance professionals don't understand local skills shortages or employer demand for apprentices. In response, the Commission recommends careers guidance professionals regularly visit employers each year to improve knowledge about local labour markets and consequently the quality of guidance available to young people.

Another factor is the lack of knowledge of Apprenticeship amongst the nation's teachers, exposed by research by independent education foundation Edge as part of the inquiry.

The Commission is calling for the National Apprenticeship Service to partner with the Training and Development
Agency for Schools ( TDA ) to improve teacher understanding of the opportunities offered by Apprenticeships.

Barry Sheerman MP, co-chair of the Skills Commission, says: There needs to be a marked improvement in the quality of careers advice and guidance about Apprenticeships. This would encourage more young people, of all academic abilities, to consider an Apprenticeship, and help to achieve the Government's goal of one in five young people enrolled on an Apprenticeship within the next decade.

We want to ensure the long-term prosperity and continued success of Apprenticeships and during this time of economic downturn securing quality vocational routes for young people is ever-more important.

Andy Powell, CEO of independent education foundation Edge and member of the Commission, commented: Tackling the lack of knowledge about Apprenticeships amongst teachers and careers guidance professionals is key to unlocking the
potential of the programme. Young people must be given easy to understand options regarding Apprenticeships in order to make an informed decision. Progression routes for apprentices must also be clearer and free of barriers to help young people follow one of the many paths to success.

The Commission also investigated the potential impact of the new 14-19 Diplomas on Apprenticeships. Witnesses called for a much clearer mapping between Diploma and Apprenticeship requirements. This will help young people studying Diplomas know when they have acquired a qualification that is also part of an Apprenticeship, and what further qualifications would then be required to complete the Apprenticeship.

The Commission urges the Government to accelerate the process of accrediting advanced apprenticeship frameworks with UCAS tariff points. This will help dispel the idea that undertaking an apprenticeship limits individuals' chance of progressing to higher education.

The Skills Commission report, Progression through Apprenticeships, contains 23 policy recommendations relating to four key areas: entry to apprenticeships; progression from other learning pathways: progression to advanced Apprenticeships; and progression to advanced further education and higher education.