The government is boosting opportunities for young people through ambitious apprenticeship reforms in England. The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson have announced a new growth and skills levy which will replace the existing apprenticeship levy and include new foundation apprenticeships.
These new apprenticeships will give young people a route in to careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage whilst developing vital skills.
The new levy will also allow funding for shorter apprenticeships, giving learners and employers greater flexibility over their training than under the existing system – where apprenticeships must run for at least 12 months.
The training eligible for funding under the new levy will develop over time, informed by Skills England’s assessment of priority skills needs.
The Department for Education will set out further details on the scope of the offer and how it will be accessed in due course.
To fund this, employers are being asked to rebalance their funding for apprenticeships, asking them to invest in younger workers. This will also involve businesses funding more of their level 7 apprenticeships – equivalent to a master’s degree and often accessed by older or already well qualified employees – outside of the levy.
Speaking on the Prime Minister and Education Secretary’s announcement, Aluminium Federation (ALFED) Chief Executive Officer, Nadine Bloxsome commented:
“We commend the Prime Minister and Education Secretary’s initiative to overhaul apprenticeships, which will open new opportunities for skills development across key industries. The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) fully supports this vision and hopes that aluminium manufacturing, a critical sector in the UK’s net-zero ambitions, is recognised within this strategy. ALFED has long championed apprenticeship schemes in aluminium manufacturing and processing. Our upcoming Apprentice Awards will further encourage fresh talent and innovation in the sector, aligning with the goals outlined in our UK Aluminium Manifesto to drive skills development and future-proof the industry.
Apprenticeships are the foundation of a sustainable and thriving aluminium sector, and we look forward to collaborating with the government to enhance these pathways and ensure our industry remains competitive on the global stage.”
For more information on the ALFED Apprentice of the Year Awards, visit: ALFED Apprentice Awards. Further details on the UK Aluminium Manifesto can be found here: UK Aluminium Manifesto.
Michael Horan – CEO of Sherwood Stainless & Aluminium, and Chair of the ALFED Apprentice of the Year Award, also commented:
“There are lots of things the be positive about in this announcement, the biggest of which is the recognition of the importance apprenticeships and skills for manufacturing. It is also great to see an approach that recognises that learning has to be flexible. Not everyone access education at a set point or in standard one-year blocks. Having a pathway that lets young people learn in bite sized modules and to keep developing is good for the young person and good for the business.
Shifting the funding focus from level 7 apprenticeships to earlier stages may disappoint some, but the emphasis is absolutely right to ensure that we bring young people into the Aluminium industry and quickly give them the skills to develop.
We need to see the detail, but the direction and focus feels right. Encouraging young people to enter the Aluminium industry is essential for our businesses, the sector and for UK manufacturing. We need new skills, new ideas and deeper skills to keep driving productivity, growth and job creation that the UK needs now and, in the future”.
To find out more about the announcement, please visit: Prime Minister overhauls apprenticeships to support opportunity – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
