Government must focus on ‘quality’ apprentices

With the UK skills shortage under intense scrutiny – businesses say ‘quality over quantity’ is key to future business success and productivity improvements. 

Motor industry employers, including garages, dealerships and accident repair centres, are today calling on the Government to focus their efforts on the quality of training rather than the number of new apprenticeships available to help their businesses grow.

The views of these successful businesses will add weight to growing skepticism around the deliverability and usefulness of the Government’s target of 3 million apprentices by 2020.

Colin Hagan, training manager at Riverpark Training said, ‘Apprentices provided with a placement rather than an employed position as an apprentice have a very poor retention rate with only 25% achieving level 2, compared to the employed apprentice route which has 90% retention. Local employers have told us they want keen enthusiastic young people, therefore it’s vital we interview all our new entrants to ensure they fit our employer’s criteria.’

IMI CEO, Steve Nash said, ‘IMI Skill Auto is an excellent example of how quality training can provide an individual with a life-long skill, and allows these young apprentices to gain vital employability skills – as well as an opportunity to avoid university debts by earning their own money whilst training in the industry’

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