News
All 16 to 18 apprenticeships to last at least a year
FE Week reports on the announcement from skills minister John Hayes that all 16 to 18 apprenticeships must entail "a rigorous period of job-ready learning" which must last at least a year.
This measure is just one of a series which the government are putting in place to underline the quality of the apprenticeship programme. Other measures outlined in a statement from the Department of Business and Skills include:
- Ensuring every apprenticeship delivers significant new learning rather than the accreditation of existing knowledge and experience
- Tighter guidance for those developing apprenticeship frameworks will ensure national quality standards are always met.
- NAS taking action to improve any frameworks that are not delivering relevant and challenging new skills
- NAS working with the Skills Funding Agency to crack down on poor provision and where there is evidence public money is being over-claimed.
- Contracts being tightened where training fails to meet required quality standards to allow for public funding to be immediately withdrawn from training providers
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “The apprenticeships programme is a success story, with record numbers of learners starting an apprenticeship this year.
“The measures announced today will ensure that we cut no corners on quality. All apprenticeships will be consistently delivered to a high standard, we will crack down on poor provision and ultimately withdraw funds from those providers that can not improve.”
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