Chloe meets with PM’s Apprenticeship Adviser

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, this week met with the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Apprenticeships, Nadhim Zahawi MP. As Chair of the APPG on Youth Employment Chloe works closely with apprenticeship providers to promote best practice and overcome the challenges facing young people in the labour market. The Government has set a target of 3 million apprenticeships this Parliament.

 

Apprenticeships are now available in over 170 industries and 9 out of 10 apprentices stay in employment upon completing their apprenticeship. 82% of apprentices say their experience had improved their ability to do the job and 79% said that their career prospects had improved. What’s more the Skills Funding Agency found almost 90% of employers who take on an apprentice report benefits to their business. In East Anglia there have been 237,940 apprenticeship starts since 2010, with over 7,600 of these in Norwich. Nationally over 2.4 million people started an apprenticeship during the last parliament.

 

Chloe's local youth employment project, Norwich for Jobs, can help Norwich firms take on young people and the project includes a wide network of firms who have already benefitted from taking on apprentices.

 

Commenting on the meeting Chloe said:

 

“I was pleased to meet with the PM’s Adviser on Apprenticeships to discuss how we can work together with employers and the All Party Group I chair in order to implement our pledge of 3 million apprenticeships and get the best for young people in Norwich and across the UK.

 

“The Chancellor has dedicated £1 billion for this but getting employers involved is vital. Many Norwich firms are already showing what they're made of and employing young people, and I urge more local companies, big or small, to look into taking on an apprentice.  

 

"Apprentices have been shown to raise productivity within a firm, with almost three quarters of apprentices going on to do a job with the same employer they did their apprenticeship with, thereby demonstrating the confidence employers have in them. What’s more up to 25,000 apprenticeship vacancies are available online at any one time, which shows just how much demand is out there.”

 

The Government’s Enterprise Bill will protect the term “apprenticeship” in law, thereby preventing misuse. Apprenticeships must now last for at least a year, involve meaningful-on-the-job training, have higher expectations for English and maths, and involve more rigorous assessment and grading. Furthermore, only vocational qualifications which lead on to jobs, further study or university will count in performance tables. Judgements on apprenticeship quality will be made independently of Government, meaning the 3 million target will have to be met the hard way, not by dumbing down quality.