Apprenticeship Funding Increases

At least 10,000 apprenticeships will be created in spite of the contraction in the economy, as the bill which launched the National Apprenticeship Service was announced last week by John Denham and Ed Balls. New Government commitments on procurement are expected to see upwards of 7,000 new apprenticeships in construction, while high street giants released plans for large-scale increases in the numbers of apprenticeships they offer.

Skills secretary John Denham said that the increase in funding to £1billion will mean that one in five young people will be able to learn a trade from a skilled employer by the end of the next decade.

Mr Denham will today highlight plans to ensure that Government-funded building projects are used to encourage construction firms to employ more apprentices. The plan is boosted by the recent decision to bring forward capital spending to help the economy recover from the downturn. This year alone, Government Departments and their Agencies will spend more than £7 billion on construction projects including schools, colleges, hospitals and roads.