The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, announced today that the goverment will be piloting a new pre-apprenticeship scheme, known as a ‘traineeship’.

In his speech at the CBI Jobs Summit Mr Clegg said: “The teenagers who aren’t ready for an apprenticeship, say. These were the children most let down by the previous system.  Now, as we reform that system, we’re determined that they are not lost in transition.

I know that one idea John Hayes, the Minister for Skills, is looking at is piloting a new ‘traineeship’; a package of training and work experience to get the basic, necessary skills, with a recognised qualification at the end of it, an extra rung on the ladder to get you on your way to an apprenticeship or job. Again, that help will be targeted in the areas most in need.

And more detail will be coming soon.”

Read the speech in full here.

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3 Comments

  1. jeff smith

    Is the previous system Clegg refers to the ‘E2E’ system with £30 EMA, which my company were operating very successfully. This was under the old government.

    The New ‘Foundation Learning’ system introduced by the present government, might give them pieces of paper/qualifications. The problem is that industry does not recognise them and does not know what they are equivalent to. Getting a job is not a positive outcome, until they have these worthless pieces of paper. This system has seriously affected the recruitment and training of NEETS. Add to that the removal of EMA and you have a recipe for failure which you now have.

    Foundation Learning is a good way of hiding the young unemployed.

    What new system could he possibly come up with to make things worse?

  2. This is what I have been saying for two year – employers want employees with skills and to be able to get on with a job with as little disruption as possible to their normal out put. An example – a garage looking to take on an apprentice – main stay of income is servicing 1 guy gets throuh around 5 services a day – new apprentice comes on board – pays him £100 week and can only get through 3 services a day as has to train him up. If the apprentice can go into the garage and can complete 2 or 3 services aday already this then allows the garage to do 8 services a day increasing his turnover thus increasing profits and can pay higher wages. To do this we need to start back again and look at traineeships 1st (OLD PLA at L2). All traineeships should be at level 2, last 12 months and learners receive a Training Allowance and be based with both provider for 6 months and at a latter stage an employer – this allows for the skills to be developed over the 1st 6 month doing the TECH CERT and Functional Skills ellements (bit like access to apprenticeships) then the trainee is placed with an employer for a further 6 months to complete the NVQ element in the work place. After successfull completion the trainee should then be offered an advanced apprenticeship for at least 18months duration – this should work on all fronts – 1st 6months with provider gaining the foundation skills to have to be an employee and getting to know the role/sector they are going in – having 6 months with the employer to learn ON THE JOB – again receivng the Training Allowance and then progressing into full time employment as an advanced apprentice and hitting the governments requirement for more advanced apprentices – this will work on most frameworks. – any thoughts?