The latest CIPD public policy poll has revealed that government plans to boost the number of apprenticeship schemes could be undermined by a lack of places offered by employers.
The poll found that over 40% of employers expect to increase the number of apprenticeship places they provide, however more than a fifth plan to reduce the number of apprenticeship places on offer and the remainder anticipate no change. This is worrying for the government which is planning to double the number of apprenticeship schemes on offer.
John McGurk, CIPD learning, training and development adviser, commented: “The CIPD is deeply concerned about the government’s reliance on apprenticeships for youth employment in particular. Employers value apprenticeships as a proven route of skills training with the appropriate mix of on the job training and classroom learning. However government promises to double the number of schemes, without developing enough places to satisfy demands, threaten to derail what is in principle a laudable aim.”
The poll also shed some light on what obstacles prevent more employers from offering apprenticeships. Employers’ main concerns were focused on lack of financial support, undue bureaucracy and the lack of available recruits. Lack of engagement and commitment to the provision of apprenticeships places at board level was also cited as an obstacle.
McGurk said: “Policymakers can draw some lessons from this survey. Firstly, if there is a perception that bureaucracy is an issue it has to be resolved. Secondly if employers believe that financial support is inadequate, they are probably right. This is especially true for SME’s where the transaction costs for recruiting apprentices are higher than in larger firms. CIPD put the idea of CGT relief for apprenticeships to ministers recently, the minister rejected this but any tax relief which builds employment and skills needs to be worth a look. The government agenda on apprenticeships, to paraphrase a well known statement, seems to be ‘build the expectations and they (the employers) will deliver’. That is far from the case and government needs to change tack.”