Apprenticeship Reform Bill

The Government proposes to put before Parliament in the 2008-09 session, legislation which will reform apprenticeships, as part of their ongoing support for the schemes.

In recent years, the Government’s initiatives have revived apprenticeships from a position of near extinction in the 1980s. This has largely been achieved without the need for legislation. However, it is now felt that some legislative powers may be necessary to move to the next stage.

In the last 10 years, the number of apprenticeships increased from 75,000 in 1997 to 250,000 in 2007, but now the Government are looking to extend the opportunity to both school leavers and adults.

The proposed legislation is intended to improve regulation of apprenticeship schemes and to promote growth in the range available and the take-up

The Apprenticeship Reform Bill is proposed to provide for:

• A statutory defi nition of apprenticeships, including arrangements for determining content of apprenticeship frameworks.
• A duty on the Learning Skills Council to provide apprenticeship places.
• A duty to facilitate entry to apprenticeship programmes through a national matching service.
• A right to public funding for apprenticeship programmes.
• Placing a duty on public organisations, like Regional Development Agencies and Learning Skills Councils, to promote apprenticeships.
• A duty to promote quality in apprenticeships by strengthening audit and inspection arrangements.
• Recognition of completed apprenticeship through for example, a licence to practise.
• A duty on public bodies to offer apprenticeships.
• Amending the Minimum Wage Requirements on the current apprenticeship exemptions.

We wait with bated breath for publication of the draft Bill, to see what advantages and benefi ts employers can gain by implementing apprenticeship schemes into their businesses. More news soon.