£1 Billion For Apprenticeships

More than 150,000 apprenticeships will be created in an attempt to meet Gordon Brown's "British jobs for British workers" pledge as the government announces £1billion of funding to increase apprenticeship places over the next three years.

Proposals to boost the number of apprenticeships and training opportunities form part of a major investment programme which the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) claims will improve the nation's job prospects.

The overall skills investment programme will increase overall places from 250,000 today to more than 400,000 by 2010/11, provided high quality employer places are available.

Funding will also be targeted specifically at expanding apprenticeships for adults aged over 25. This will mean 30,000 additional such apprenticeships costing £90million over the next three years.

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of Ucatt, gave the plans a cautious welcome. “The construction industry is crying out for skilled workers, the skills gap is widening by the day. It is not sufficient to offer substandard courses, which only give workers a fraction of the skills they need. Apprenticeship courses need to be of high quality and ensure that workers have skills for life.”

The government said total spending on learning and skills will rise to £12.3billion a year in 2010/11 compared to £6.5billion in 2001/02.