The Authorities has rejected Labour accusations that departments throughout Whitehall couldn’t “even ship on their very own goal” on hiring sufficient apprentices.
Shadow training secretary Bridget Phillipson mentioned Labour evaluation confirmed that elements of the Authorities, together with the Division for Schooling (DfE), had missed their targets for the variety of apprentices they wished to rent.
However the DfE mentioned the goal was to make use of a mean of a minimum of 2.3% of employees as new apprentice begins over a interval – not in a single 12 months – and due to this fact the goal had been hit.
The Division for Schooling has been criticised (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
(PA Archive)
In 2017, the Authorities set the goal for public sector our bodies with 250 or extra employees in England to make use of a mean of a minimum of 2.3% of their employees on apprenticeships as much as March 2021. This was then prolonged for a 12 months to March this 12 months.
Labour claimed their evaluation confirmed 60% of Authorities departments had failed to take action.
The social gathering mentioned this included the Division for Schooling, which they mentioned took on simply 142 apprentices final 12 months, out of a workforce of over 7,000.
However a DfE spokesperson mentioned: “It’s not true to say the Division for Schooling has not met the general public sector apprenticeship goal – which was met efficiently between 2017 and 2020.
“We proceed to be one of many main departments in recruiting and supporting apprentices, and throughout Authorities the Civil Service met its goal of over 30,000 apprenticeships within the 12 months 2020/21.”
Ms Phillipson mentioned: “Apprenticeship begins have plummeted over the past decade, led by a Authorities which can not even ship on their very own goal.
“Labour is working with employers, educators and coaching suppliers to ship the abilities our nation must prosper. The Authorities ought to have adopted Labour’s plan for a wage subsidy delivering 100,000 new apprenticeship begins this 12 months, and guarantee each younger individual is leaving training prepared for work and prepared for all times.”
Nonetheless the DfE spokesperson mentioned: “Because the lead division chargeable for apprenticeships, we’re taking motion to assist extra individuals to do an apprenticeship and achieve the abilities they should construct a rewarding profession.”
They added: “Rising apprenticeship begins stays a key precedence and we’re happy to see that the most recent figures present a giant rise within the variety of individuals beginning apprenticeships this educational 12 months.
“We are going to proceed to work with employers to spice up the variety of apprenticeships obtainable together with by growing apprenticeship funding by £2.7 billion by 2024-25 to assist companies of all sizes to construct the expert workforce they want.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
