David Willetts

New Government figures show that just thirty of the 1,395 people being trained on the Government’s flagship apprenticeship scheme are new employees. The remaining trainees - 98 per cent of those on the scheme - were already employed in central Government prior to becoming apprentices.

Responding to the figures ahead of an opposition day debate in the House of Commons on jobs in the recession later today, Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary, David Willetts said:

“These figures cast grave doubts on the Government’s ability to deliver on its promise to increase the number of public sector apprentices. Ministers are so concerned with chasing headlines that they seem to have simply renamed existing trainees.

“As the recession bites, it is more important than ever to create new training opportunities. Ministers re-labelling workplace training as apprenticeships in order to meet targets helps no one.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Renaming existing employees ‘apprentices.’ Figures obtained in a parliamentary answer (Hansard, 14 May 2009, PQ 263889) show that:

1,395 people are taking part in the Government’s flagship National Apprenticeship Pathfinder scheme. Yet just 30 of these are new employees, meaning that 98% of these apprenticeship places are taken up by existing employees converting to apprenticeships.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090514/text/90514w0024.htm

In February 2009, the Government announced that there would be 21,000 new apprentices in the public sector as part of their plans to create 35,000 new apprenticeships. If the Pathfinder scheme is representative of the public sector as a whole, Denham and Brown’s promise of 21,000 public sector apprenticeships will in fact mean just 420 new opportunities for young people (DIUS Press Release, 23 February 2009).