MPs call for champions to head national campaign for apprenticeships

8 December 2011 1 min read Madlen Davies Education 16-19 learning Youth Work

"Apprentice champions" should be sent into schools to promote vocational routes into employment and change the perception of apprenticeships, a report by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning has said.

The report recommended that role models such as Gordon Ramsey or a Formula One mechanic should be asked to participate in a national campaign so that children become aware from the age of 14 that apprenticeships are not the "soft" option but a viable route to success.

Prompted by an Association of Colleges survey, which revealed that only seven per cent of school pupils can name apprenticeships as a post-GCSE qualification, the report recommended that a Royal Society of Apprentices be established to bring esteem to the work-based route.

Conservative MP Robert Halfon, who co-chaired the report, said: "If we give young people real opportunities for skills and training, we get them off the street, give them stability and a real chance of a job for the future.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits: