In the government’s Plan for Jobs, as part of the summer economic statement, there were a number of new policies relating to apprenticeships, traineeships and skills. An overview of the key FE and skills points can be read here and some initial sector response was published here and here. Some initial concerns have been raised regarding the possibility that the Kickstart scheme might displace apprenticeship starts for young people. The Treasury has confirmed that young people who take part in the Kickstart scheme cannot also be apprentices. This article focusses on the £101 million which has been announced to fund high-value courses for school and college leavers, and this one on the employer incentive to recruit apprentices. There has also been some concern from business groups, outlined in this article, that the measures, including the new ‘job retention bonus’ is not enough to avoid large-scale unemployment. The views of Labour’s Shadow Minister for Apprenticeships can be read here.
