The watchdog found the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) had failed to promote programme-led apprenticeships (PLAs), or pre-apprenticeships, sufficiently. This meant participation in the courses, which are particularly suitable for learners with additional numeracy and literacy needs, fell by 58 per cent between 2005 and 2007.
Ofsted also found only two out of 10 sector skills councils included PLAs in their planning, although their remit includes working with the LSC and employers to plan their delivery.
The government's Draft Apprenticeships Bill, unveiled last week, aims to improve the way apprenticeships are promoted and delivered, but is only set to place a legal duty on the LSC to promote employer-based apprenticeships. Pre-apprenticeships, which are full-time vocational courses based largely at colleges, are exempt from the Bill.
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