Prime Minister announces graded internships

David Cameron has announced the introduction of a new type of apprenticeship in England which will place more emphasis on academic rigour to rival higher and further education.

These new apprenticeships will be put in place as early as the end of next year with some leading UK businesses, including Toyota, British Gas and Barclays already having signed up for it.

Such changes were made in response to the Richard Review which concluded that the status and quality of apprenticeships needed to be much more clearly defined.

Entrepreneur and educator, Doug Richard published his independent report last year and commented: “Apprenticeships need to be high-quality training with serious kudos and tangible value both to the apprentice and the employer.”

Changes will focus on the quality of apprenticeships. Grading will be categorised as Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail, giving employers a clearer idea of standards than a simple pass or fail. There were also plans for apprentices to gain the equivalent of a good GCSE in English and Maths.

Training will also be made tougher, with at least two thirds of the assessment taking place at the end of the apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships will last for a minimum of one year, 20 percent of which the apprentice must spend away from where they are training.

The new system will target training towards specific sectors. Examples of these sectors are automotive, energy, financial services and food and drink.

Mr Cameron said to the BBC: “I think apprenticeships can be a big part not just of tackling unemployment but also in making sure our recovery is for all.”

Adam Marshall, policy director at the British Chambers of Commerce, added: “Empowering employers to set standards for apprenticeships is a positive step forward.”

However, Mr Marshall warned that a “one-size-fits-all approach” will not work.

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers agreed that such a strict approach could cause problems, stressing that a grading system was not “appropriate” and would create too much bureaucracy.

Proposals “don’t go far enough”, according to Labour’s shadow skills minister Liam Byrne. He explained to the BBC that government research shows one in five apprentices do not receive either on- or off-the-job training and 29 percent receive less pay than they are entitled to.

This said, fourth-year Engineering undergraduate Euan Long told the Boar: “it’s great that the government are continuing to improve apprenticeship schemes to address youth unemployment.

“There is sometimes a stigma about the quality or value of apprenticeships and hopefully by encouraging good quality training this stigma will fade and they will be seen as a true alternative to degrees.”

Indeed, these reforms were supported by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development as a step towards making vocational training “as equally an attractive prospect to young people and their parents as a university education”.