Apprenticeships: Employers 'face too much bureaucracy'

Dr Anna Vignoles, from the Institute of Education at London University, told the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee that there was a need to examine the level of bureaucracy employers face when setting up Apprenticeships. She said employers need to be more involved in creating vocational qualifications.

Organisations including Connexions Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire; the Association of Learning Providers; The National Youth Agency and the Institute for Career Guidance submitted written evidence backing Vignoles' claims.

The submission from the Institute for Career Guidance reads: "Connexions personal advisers and the Learning and Skills Council are generally unable to persuade employers to release young employees for training, whether at local colleges or training providers."