Research carried out by the EEF body this week suggests that is now highly unlikely that this target will be metThe former PM spoke passionately about how he wanted apprenticeships to be ‘the new norm’ and how they would be ‘at the heart of our mission to rebuild the economy’.
This ambitious target has been questioned by Labour on many occasions, but in the years since Cameron’s resignation, it is a figure that Theresa May has continued to insist can and will be delivered. However, research carried out by the EEF body this week suggests that is now highly unlikely that this target will be met. With the PM’s spokeswoman also refusing to comment on whether or not the target is on course, it looks as if this could have been an empty promise that may quietly have been dropped.
The spokeswoman did make mention of the increase in numbers when it comes to those choosing to pursue apprenticeships, stating that ‘we are continuing to work with industry to improve numbers’.
But when asked directly about the three million target, she declined to comment, prompting Labour to respond with criticism about how they knew the target was over-ambitious and imploring government to take on a ‘quality over quantity’ approach. The Shadow Education Secretary, Angela Raynor, insisted that ‘they need to focus on delivering high-quality apprenticeships instead of chasing arbitrary numbers’.
Research conducted by the EEF suggests that for the government to achieve its three-million target by the designated deadline of April 2020, a whopping 68,000 new placements would need to be made per month.
Sadly, since the introduction of the apprentice levy in April last year, fewer than half of this number are currently occurring. Just 28,000 new apprenticeships are beginning monthly, which is down from the 44,000 monthly placements that were happening before the levy.
Although it would be somewhat of an admission of defeat, experts agree that scrapping the target may not necessarily be a bad thing, as it will focus on delivering a better service for young jobseekers and employers alike rather than simply chasing a non-achievable promise.
But the levy – which is not always favoured by employers, who say that they are contributing more than they are receiving through training costs – is set to stay with a Treasury guarantee of £2.5 billion currently in place.
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