Young people in low paid jobs need more apprenticeships
Joe Lepper
Friday, February 5, 2010
Apprenticeship initiatives are failing to target young people in jobs with no training on offer, according to a report funded by the government's National Apprenticeship Service.
Opening the Door to Apprenticeships: Reaching Young People who are Disadvantaged and Disengaged from Apprenticeships says this group should be a priority of apprenticeship schemes but they are not being targeted as they already have jobs.
It says: "Young people in jobs without training are emerging as a priority group for extending the reach of apprenticeships, but these young people may not be receiving sufficiently focused support as they are officially outside the not in education, employment or training (Neet) group."
The report says that as this group are in low paid, poorly skilled jobs they can fall within the Neet group, but only for a short period of time as they move between jobs.
Instead of focusing support on specific groups promotion of apprenticeship schemes needs to be more mainstream, to create a "level playing field" of access for those in and out of work, the report says.
The report was produced by The Apprenticeship Pathfinder Project, which is funded by the National Apprenticeship Service.
The government is hoping that one in five young people take up an apprenticeship scheme within the next 10 years.
