Skills Training UK hails ‘right choice’ by Chancellor in tripling traineeships

Martin Dunford OBE, Chief Executive, @SkillsTrain_UK says the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has made the ‘right choice’ in making £111 million available to triple the size of the traineeships programme for young people.

As part of a package of new measures to secure the UK’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, the Chancellor unveiled the biggest-ever expansion of traineeships, including widening eligibility so that 16-24s with up to and including a Level 3 qualification such as an ‘A’ level can benefit. The incentives for more employers to become involved with traineeships is also welcomed.

Martin Dunford OBE, Chief Executive, Skills Training UK, says:

“The Chancellor has made the right choice in making this massive investment in traineeships and we really welcome the extended eligibility so many more young people can benefit from what is a really good programme.

“We’ve designed and delivered thousands of traineeships since their inception in 2013 and have proven their success by working closely with employers and by equipping young people with the skills, confidence and experience they need to secure employment.”

Skills Training UK was one of the pioneers of traineeships and continues to be one of the largest providers. It has a proven track record in working with disadvantaged young people aged 16 – 24 who often have limited educational attainment and/or challenging personal backgrounds and who require significant levels of support.

It has continued to provide learning and support to young people (as well as to learners on all other programmes) during the Covid-19 pandemic through online tutoring and mentoring.

Graham Clarke, Director of Education and Social Mobility at Skills Training UK, said:

“The injection of £111 million by the Chancellor in 30,000 traineeships will be pivotal in providing a lifeline for young people as the UK economy recovers from the pandemic.

“Through individual mentoring, technical vocational qualifications and high-quality work experience which we secure through our relationships with thousands of local employers we’ll be able to help many more young people discover their interest and talents and to secure a job or a place in further education.”

Skills Training UK won the Training Provider of the Year Award at the 2019 Times Educational Supplement (TES) FE Awards.