News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 29 September 2010
Skills Minister
John Hayes today set out his vision for apprenticeships and
reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to work-based learning and training.
He told an audience at the Group Training Association England
annual conference that the Government was firmly committed to
expanding apprenticeships and making them more accessible to
learners and businesses.
The minister spoke of the role Group Training Associations (GTA)
play in helping businesses, particularly small businesses, take on
apprentices and challenged them to engage with more employers and
get them involved with the apprenticeships programme.
John Hayes said:
“The truest measure of the success or failure of this
Government’s commitment to apprenticeships will be found in how
well-equipped today’s young people will be in future years to face
the shifting challenges of life and work.
“To be successful in that, we must create a radically new model
for workplace training with apprenticeships at its heart and with
partnership between Government, employers and individuals as its
motive force.
“We have promised to re-shape the apprenticeships programme to
ensure that it provides more high-quality training opportunities.
We have already begun to deliver on that promise by redeploying
£150 million to provide an extra 50,000 places.”
The minister told the audience at the Institute of Directors that
the Government would expand and improve the apprenticeships
programme by building on the existing strengths of the GTA sector.
He has asked the Skills Funding Agency to review what funding
they might make available to support the work of GTAs and to help
them expand. He told the audience that GTAs can and should play a
major role in our drive to increased advanced and higher level
skills in growth sectors.
He also invited GTA England to put forward a set of
recommendations to him that will help the sector grow in a way
that will encourage even more businesses to get involved in
apprenticeships and other training.
Mr Hayes said in his speech that the Government plans to reform
apprenticeships in order to build on the quality of the training
programme, and better meet the needs of employers and learners,
and said Government will do this in three ways:
Expanding the number of apprenticeship places on offer and
prioritise more advanced skills levels at level three and
above;Take a firm approach in establishing what the employer
contribution to apprenticeship programmes should be; andMake it
easier for businesses to access apprenticeships, and in particular
small businesses which can take advantage of the support GTAs
offer in this respect.
The minister also urged the audience of employers to contribute
to the two consultations launched in July. The consultations are
gathering suggestions on how the skills system can better meet the
needs of employers and learners, and how to simplify the funding
system to enable colleges and providers to deliver more efficiency
and effectively.
At the conference, the minister also announced that the work of
UKSkills, an independent charity which champions skills and
learning for work through competitions and awards, is to be come
part of the Skills Funding Agency.
UKSkills’ activities and staff will be transferred and the Skills
Funding Agency will lead a more coherent programme to promote
skills and apprenticeships through international competitions and
award ceremonies which recognise home grown talent, in partnership
with the Devolved Administrations. A highlight will be the
WorldSkills 2011 international competition which is being hosted
by the UK in London in October 2011.
Notes to editors:
The full version of John Hayes’ speech at the GTA England
conference will be available from the BIS website
(www.bis.gov.uk)If you would like to interview the minister on
apprenticeships, please contact press office on 020 7215
5951.Group Training Associations are not for profit organisations
which provide training and related services on behalf of a group
of local employers. There funding comes from a variety of means
including Government grants.If you wish to contribute to the
skills consultation, Skills for Sustainable Growth, more
information can be found here:
www.bis.gov.uk/Consultations/skills-for-sustainable-growth-consultation.
More information on how to contribute to FE and Skills Funding
System and Methodology, use this link:
www.bis.gov.uk/Consultations/fe-funding-consultation. Both
consultations close on October 14.UKSkills is a not for profit
organisation which champions skills and learning for work through
competitions and awards. It promotes the UK’s skills successes and
manages the UK team for European and International skills
competitions EuroSkills and WorldSkills.The WorldSkills
international skills competition is being hosted by the UK next
year and takes place in London in October 2011.UKSkills currently
operates as a charity with grant contribution from BIS and is
supported by the Devolved Administrations. The transference of
responsibilities of UKSkills to the Skills Funding Agency does not
form part of the Cabinet Office's review of Public
Bodies.BIS' online newsroom contains the latest press
notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It
also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See
http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom for more information.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Joanna Fletcher
Phone: 020 7215 5951
Joanna.Fletcher@bis.gsi.gov.uk