Inflexible apprenticeships place rural skills agenda at risk
Apprenticeships need to be more flexible if they are to meet the needs of business and hit government targets – Sector Skills Council Lantra reveals during Apprenticeship Week (7-11 February).
Lantra is the Sector Skills Council for Land-based and Environmental Industries - representing industry and lobbying Government to support appropriate sector-based training. Its research has highlighted a range of problems with publicly funded Apprenticeship Frameworks. These include insufficient funding for over 19s, a bias toward non-work-based testing, over-stretched colleges and too much red-tape. This has led to organisations such as the National Trust running their own apprenticeships without official acknowledgement or funding. Lantra Spokesperson said: “The Government says more than 200,000 adults will be able to start apprenticeships each year by 2015, and has earmarked £250m. But if it wants to hit its targets, and attract adults, it will have to make apprenticeships more flexible. “The current system excludes other Apprenticeship-style training, often on a technicality. For instance, Maths and ICT are tested by old-fashioned exams in the Government framework; other frameworks test these during vocational training – making them ineligible for funding.” Lantra research shows the sector needs 110,000 new entrants by 2017, and so must draw from an adult employee pool. However, its report, Apprenticeships in the UK Land-based and Environmental Sector: Increasing Take-up and Opportunity, reveals an ‘unacceptably low’ take up of apprenticeships by employers, particularly in businesses employing 10 people or less. Apprenticeships are struggling in a number of areas. For instance, colleges need more specialist resources, and training providers find land-based workers are widely spread, or working seasonally, making apprenticeships hard to deliver. Other areas of concern include funding and its effect on recruitment. Full funding is only available for 16 to 19-year-old apprentices; much less funding is available for adults. However, many industries perceive health and safety requirements – such as under 18s from using heavy equipment - as a potential barrier to restricting employers’ and apprentices’ choices. Lantra spokesperson added: “Apprenticeship Frameworks need to change, and our discussions with the Government show it is willing to listen to industry – which is good news. “Nearly a quarter of businesses, 24 per cent, proved on-the-job training which should be described as Apprenticeships. In fact, there are some excellent apprenticeship-style programmes which we think should be brought into Government Apprenticeship Framework.” For more information go to Lantra.co.uk ENDS For a copy of Apprenticeships in the UK Land-based and Environmental Sector: Increasing Take-up and Opportunity got to http://www.lantra.co.uk/Downloads/Research/Research-reports/Apprenticeship-in-the-UK-sector---increasing-up-take-(August-2010).aspx About Lantra • Lantra is the Sector Skills Council for land-based and environmental industries, working to ensure these businesses access the training, qualifications, skills and knowledge they need. • An independent UK organisation, Lantra works with employers and the UK’s governments to address the skills and productivity needs of approximately 230,000 businesses (one in every ten UK businesses) in: agriculture; animal care; animal technology; aquaculture; environmental conservation; equine; farriery; fencing; fisheries management; floristry; game and wildlife management; land-based engineering; horticulture, landscape and sports turf; production horticulture; trees and timber and veterinary nursing. • By working together with the sector, Lantra leads research on skills issues and business needs, sets national standards and develops qualifications to meet modern business needs and help businesses grow through skills. • For more information see www.lantra.co.uk.
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