Labour remains committed to scrapping level two apprenticeships despite the absence of the pledge from the party’s education manifesto, it has been confirmed.

Speaking to FE Week following the launch of the document at Microsoft’s offices in Victoria, central London, Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna confirmed his party still wanted all apprenticeships to be at level three or above.

It comes despite the fact the policy did not feature in the manifesto document itself, and was not mentioned by party leader Ed Miliband in his speech.

Mr Umunna said: “We want all our apprenticeships to be level three and above. That is not to say that we don’t see a place for level two qualifications — we absolutely do.

“In and of themselves, there are important qualifications that are level two and of course they are an important stepping-stone to do a level three apprenticeship or other qualification.”

When asked why the policy was not included in the manifesto document, a spokesperson said the party did not comment on process issues, adding that manifestos were only meant to provide an “overview” of policy.

A number of FE organisations have come out against the policy including the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, where chief executive Stewart Segal said: “We share the view of Confederation of British Industry, Unionlearn and the Commons Education Committee that high quality level two apprenticeships should remain part of the programme because they offer a ladder of opportunity to further progression.”

However, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) has backed the policy.

Steve Mulligan, Niace assistant director for policy and public affairs, said: “At a time when we need to do all we can to boost productivity and people’s career prospects and incomes, the last thing we should be doing is capping opportunities at level two where, currently, most apprentices stop learning.

“No one would say that stopping learning once you’ve done your GCSEs is a good idea. The same should be true for apprenticeships.

“Apprentices have the right to a working and learning experience that sets them up for a successful career and life of learning. Raising the bar to level three, while of course maintaining level two training, is a sensible way forward.”

Mr Umunna also told FE Week that the details of which qualifications would qualify learners for his party’s proposed “apprenticeship guarantee” would be announced once his party is in office. The party has so far only said that those with two A-level passes or equivalent qualifications would be eligible.

He said: “In terms of the detail around that we will announce that when we get into government. I’m not going to go through the list right now because I can’t.

“Of course, when you put in place a guarantee you have a set of criteria that you reference your guarantee to, but I can’t give you a whole list of the qualifications now if that’s what you’re asking me to do.”

Labour also used the event to announce plans to divert £50m from the government’s widening access and participation fund to pay around 1,000 trained careers advisers, who will each work with clusters of two or three schools, in order to guarantee “face-to-face” careers advice for all learners from the age of 11.

Main pic: From left: Labour leader Ed Miliband,
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna.

Picture Chris Radburn/PA

Labour’s manifesto pledges for skills

Deliver a new gold-standard technical baccalaureate for 16 to 18-year-oldsEnsure all young people study English and maths to 18

Raise standards in FE, with new institutes of technical education

Guarantee all young people face-to-face careers advice

Give every young person that gets the grades has the right to a high quality apprenticeship

Introduce new technical degrees delivered by universities and employers

 

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4 Comments

  1. Andrew Roberts

    There is, and always will be a demand for level two, (semi-skilled), apprenticeships. without this level, the jobs market will become much harder for the less academically abled persons.
    The schools and OFSTED are already failing their students by suggesting lower GCSE criteria is acceptable in vocational occupations.

  2. Government doesn’t own the word “apprenticeship”. If Labour are the largest influence in the next Government they can call their Level 3 programme an “apprenticeship” if they wish and use a different label for their Level 2 programme, but as things stand they can’t stop any employer labelling their state-subsidised training programme an apprenticeship. And I’m sure that if they tried to restrict use of the term “apprentice” (as ‘university’ is protected) they’d fail: that bird has flown.

    Clearly Labour is trying to send a signal that it cares about quality, and that’s a good thing, but have they thought this through?

  3. Mike Farmer

    As with the Lib Dems and the Tories, no commitments to adult education from Labour. Looks like liberal adult education as we have known it for the past 100 years is doomed in the rush for vocationalism and apprenticeships. I despair!

  4. Stephen Cook

    Yet again a (prospective) government with no clue as to what they are talking about.. I teach at an FE college in the north east and there are a lot of apprentices here studying at level 2 who would find it very difficult to make the jump to level 3 or 4 work. These young people are coming out of school with a very poor grasp of maths, english and work life in general. Schools are telling them to apply for apprenticeships or college as they will be all right with these poor grades !!! Please can whatever party gets in on May 7th sort out the schools delivery of basic subjects and leave the technical subjects to FE who have the experts delivering the subjects with the right equipment. Please stop cutting the funding to FE as well as there will be no one left to deliver any technical training if the present regime of cuts carries on then where will the ‘up skilling’ or apprentice training come from.