National Apprenticeship Week
February 9, 2012 3:19 PM
In North Devon Journal
In North Devon Journal
North Devon still is one of the areas which, sadly, has a large number of young unemployed people, with 4 in every 10 people claiming Job Seekers Allowance being aged under 24. Tacking this problem is rightly a huge priority, which is why the launch of National Apprenticeships Week comes at such a good time.
This week will see a number of events around the country (and around Devon) to promote apprenticeships to both prospective apprentices and employers. At the moment, figures show that nationally, employers engage with apprenticeships but here in Devon it is only 4.3%, so there is more to be done.
It's not all gloomy though as it's clear that the take up of apprenticeships is growing, with figures released this week showing that in North Devon, 650 people benefitted from an apprenticeship last year, an increase of 43% on 2009/10.
However, there is still much more that we can do, which is why this week is also a time to celebrate the countless achievements of learners and employers and to call on more firms to hire an apprentice.
I have been pleased to follow the campaign that this newspaper has been supporting to sign up as many apprentices as possible in 101 days.
There is a lot of misinformation about apprenticeships - from parents who thing that apprentices can't become senior managers or that an apprenticeship will prevent their child from earning higher rates of pay in the future - to employers that thing that they don't have the time or the money to take on an apprentice. North Devon Plus in conjunction with the Journal are aiming to combat this, and I would urge any interested employers to attend their Employer Event on Friday to learn more.
This is not all that is planned though - I am pleased that the government have now launched the Youth Contract, which has been pioneered by the Liberal Democrats. Launched last year, with funding of £1 billion, the Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places to young people between the ages of 18 and 24.
The programme will include wage subsidies to employers that recruit a young person through the Work Programme as well as comprehensive work experience placements to give young people experience of work. These placements have already started, and reports show that they are proving successful in getting young people into work. There will also be further financial support to encourage employers to take on young apprenticeships.
As a Liberal Democrat, I believe that the Coalition Government is doing the right thing by giving employers even further encouragement to train young people and create opportunities for apprentices. It's really important to do this in order to rebalance the economy and provide a good future for our young people.
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats