Important to keep up apprenticeship standards

A REPORT from the education think tank EDSK has fired a warning arrow across all employers and training providers.

This is the reaction of Safaraz Ali, chief executive of skills and employability provider, Pathway Group and founder of both the multicultural apprenticeship awards and multicultural apprenticeship alliance.

The report reveals that a large percentage of apprentices are not getting proper training and almost half of those recruited drop out before finishing their apprenticeship.

It claims that many apprentices do not get the minimum teaching and training whilst some get none.

In 2021, approximately 53 per cent of those recruited completed their apprenticeships whilst the remaining 47 per cent blamed the poor quality of the training as the reason for dropping out.

Equally damaging, the EDSK Report says that some low skill jobs are being badged as apprenticeships so employers can get money from the Government.

“The changes to apprenticeships so that they are available, and on many different levels across a broad spectrum of sector is good,” said Safaraz Ali. In addition, Apprenticeships can change lives and open great opportunities. However, we must continue to strive to improve the standard of apprenticeships in order to achieve its aim.

“This is more important now at a time when students and Government have growing concerns about the value of some degrees from some universities, with some degrees been referred to as ‘Micky Mouse’ degrees, the last thing we want is for this label to be applied to some apprenticeship.”