• The early form of apprenticeship in the United Kingdom

• Traditional apprenticeship after the Industrial Revolution

• The decline of traditional apprenticeship

• The Modern Apprenticeship system

• The Setting Up of the 'Modern Apprenticeship Advisory Committee' in 2001.

1. The Government commissioned a review of apprenticeship in 2001, with representatives from industry, the voluntary sector, the trade unions and from learning and training providers.
2. The purpose of the review was to survey the previous operation of Modern apprenticeships and to determine how best to promote Modern apprenticeships to employers and young people.
3. The context was a determination that the vocational, as opposed to the academic, route should get the recognition it deserves and a complementary programme of enhanced vocational education in schools.
4. The objective was to increase participation and achievement in apprenticeships.

• The Committee's Survey and Analysis of the Current Situation.

1. The Committee found that despite its apprenticeship tradition, the UK does not currently have a strong apprenticeship system.
2. Not only did the previous system collapse in the 1970s and 1980s but also there has been a long-term decline in work-based learning as a component of immediate post-16 education. Apprenticeship is marginal in the system.
3. Only about 1 in 6 young people aged 17 'learn while working'. In 1987 30% 17 year-olds were in full-time education and 30% were in training at work; in 2000 58% were in full-time education but only 17% were training at work.
4. The introduction of Modern apprenticeships in 1995 had not had an impact on this situation.
5. The system was also marginal in the sense that only half of the young people who entered an apprenticeship completed it.
6. While there was good practice the survey also uncovered poor management, delivery and promotion of the programmes. Many apprentices did not even know that they were apprentices. Particular criticisms related to induction, assessment and delivery of Key Skills.
7. There were wide discrepancies between occupational sectors in terms of take-up and completion rates.

TABLE 1; PARTICIPATION IN APPRENTICESHIP (on March 25^th 2001) BY SECTOR AND GENDER

The figures show a) the relative size of each sector in terms of the numbers in training as a proportion of all Advanced modern apprentices and foundation Modern apprentices (for definitions see below) and b) the proportion of trainees who are young women in each sector.

• The aim is to provide an opportunity for young people to train while in a job, to obtain a qualification, earn a wage and work towards a career. It is a mixture of work-based training and education 'off the job'. The provision is a combination of National Vocational Qualifications (which are the acquisition of vocational skills in a work situation), a Technical Certificate (of underpinning knowledge acquired 'off the job', perhaps at a college) and Key Skills.

• Modern Apprenticeships must be an equally valued alternative to the academic route for young people. The objective is that more young people who continue learning will do so via the work-based route and not through general further Education.

• The programme will:

1. Establish a national framework for Modern Apprenticeships, which will clarify their nature
2. Strengthen the content of the apprenticeship frameworks, including the introduction of Technical Certificates. These may be new or existing qualifications.
3. Provide an entitlement to a Modern Apprenticeship place to all suitable young people
4. Develop a structure of providers.

• The National framework will include:

1. A signed apprenticeship agreement that includes an individual training plan. This Learning agreement is signed by the employer, the new recruit and a learning provider.
2. A probationary period of 8 weeks.
3. Attainments in key skills, technical learning and relevant National Vocational Qualifications.
4. A minimum permitted period for the apprenticeship but no fixed period. There will be no return to timeserving.
5. Provision for an accelerated option for 18-24 year-olds.

• Introduction of the new programme of reformed Modern apprenticeships will take place in August 2002.

• Age of entry should be 16-19
• They will take a minimum of 12 months
• The minimum standard for successful completion should be attainment of NVQ Level 2 in the relevant occupation plus satisfactory off-the-job attainments in Key Skills and the relevant technical certificate.

• Age of entry 16-24
• They will take a minimum of 24 months although there will be provision for an accelerated option of not less than a year for 18-24 year olds who have already achieved the Key Skills.
• The minimum standard for successful completion should be the attainment of NVQ level 3 in the relevant occupation plus satisfactory off-the job attainments in Key Skills and the relevant technical certificate.

• A young person needs to be between 16 and 24 to join a Modern apprenticeship and to complete it before s/he is 25.
• The trainee is either employed and paid a wage (but does not benefit from the minimum wage) or is on a placement with an employer and receives an allowance of £40 a week.

• The revised Modern apprenticeships are a mixture of work-based training and education and include the following elements:
• a National Vocational Qualification (an assessment of skills/competences), achieved at the workplace
• Key Skills (including communications, application of number and information technology),
• a Technical Certificate (specific vocational knowledge and understanding) which will be delivered away from the workplace and
• other specific elements relevant to the occupation.

1. Management of the programme

• The Modern apprenticeship sectoral frameworks (which make clear the basic content and durations of apprenticeships in the sector) are produced by representative industry bodies for each sector, known as Sector Skill Councils.
• The programme nationally is managed by the Learning and Skills Council, a governmental body, through its network of training providers.
• There will be tougher regimes of external assessment and inspection.

• There are over 150 types of Modern apprenticeship in over 80 types of industry.

• By 2004 the Government wants 28% of young people aged between 16-21 to enter a Modern apprenticeship. This will increase the number from the current 140,000 to 175,000.
• It has a longer-term aim of 35% young people entering apprenticeship by 2010.
• It also aims to have by 2004 a basic entitlement to a Modern apprenticeship place for young people 16-17 who have 5 GCSEs at grades A-C.

• Phased implementation across all sectors will start from August 2002. It is hoped that they will be in place for all sectors by August 2003.

• Essentially the same reformed system of Modern apprenticeships will be offered in Wales and Scotland, although they will be administered by local enterprise companies in Scotland and by Education and Learning Wales.

• Advanced Modern Apprenticeship

• Learning and Skills Council

1. The Modern Apprenticeship Advisory Committee was set up by David Blunkett, the then Secretary of State for Education and Employment, in March 2001. It was asked to advise the Secretary of State and the Learning and Skills Council, by the end of September 2001, on a three year action plan for the development, promotion and delivery of Modern Apprenticeships.

2. The committee was chaired by Sir John Cassels, formerly Director-General of the National Economic Development Office, Director of the independent National Commission on Education, and Chairman of UK SKILLS. The other members of the committee were: Paul Dermody, Chief Executive, De Vere Group; Helen Edwards, Chief Executive, NACRO; Ian S Ferguson, Chairman, Data Connection Ltd; Lord Layard, Co-Director, Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE; Frances O’Grady, Head of Organisation and Services, TUC; Denis Reay, Director of Human Resources, BT Wholesale; Jenny Rudge, Chief Executive, Cornwall and Devon Connexions Ltd; and Robert Winning, Manager, UK Personnel, Shell International Ltd.

3. Sir John submitted the committee’s report - ‘Modern Apprenticeships: The Way to Work’ - to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the Chair of the Learning and Skills Council on 28 September 2001. The main findings are summarised below.

The prime responsibility for developing, promoting and delivering Modern Apprenticeships should be assigned by the DfES to the LSC. The LSC should establish a national framework for modern apprenticeships which will clarify their nature and strengthen the basic relationship between employer and apprentice. The framework proposed by the committee includes:

• a signed apprenticeship agreement between each employer and apprentice, together with an individual training plan;
• a period of probation of eight weeks;
• attainments in key skills and in technical learning as well as in the relevant NVQ;
• minimum permitted durations at foundation (1 year) and advanced (2 years) levels as well as the normal recommended durations; and
• provision for an accelerated option within the Advanced Modern Apprenticeship for 18-24 year old entrants who have already attained the relevant key skills requirements.

The committee endorses the Government’s reforms to build the content of apprenticeship frameworks, particularly the introduction of technical certificates, but recommends some adjustments including:

• technical certificates which clearly encompass a key skill should be declared as doing so, so that people who take the certificate are not required to take the key skill as well;
• technical certificates should form links with higher education courses in the same discipline, and opportunities should be sought to permit able trainees to enter higher education during their apprenticeship; and
• diplomas marking the successful completion of apprenticeship at the foundation and advanced levels should be issued by the relevant NTO.

The committee recommends that the LSC, over time, should develop the provider structure, so as to make it clearer what functions are expected to be performed by each organisation, and to design funding regimes which reflect their roles. The LSC should introduce a system of registering approved Apprenticeship Agents who would help employers to deliver apprenticeships. There should be two main types of Apprenticeship Agent:

• employer support agents who will provide services to employers; and
• programme-led agents who will give young people initial apprenticeship training culminating in an apprenticeship agreement with an employer and a period of on-the-job practice.

The committee was asked to report on the phasing out of ‘Other Training’ by September 2002 and recommends that:

• a new programme, called ‘Entry to Employment’ (E2E), should be set up to provide high-quality learning for young people who are not yet ready to enter apprenticeship or other employment;
• the LSC should identify particular sectoral work-based training schemes which it is unlikely to be possible to put on a satisfactory long-term basis before September 2002, and that in these cases support for work-based training short of apprenticeship should continue for a limited period; and
• the LSC should meet the assessment (but not the training) costs of NVQs at level 2 and above of employers who do not wish to allow their young employees to undertake framework training.

The committee recommends:

• a longer-term aim of 35% of young people entering apprenticeship each year by 2010, and a more immediate target for 2004 of 28%, or 175,000, young people entering apprenticeship between the ages of 16 and 21; and
• a basic entitlement to a modern apprenticeship place for young people aged 16 or 17 who have five GCSEs (at grades A to G) including maths and English, to come into force from September 2004.

To boost participation in, and acceptance of, apprenticeships, the committee recommends:

• a greatly improved supply of information about the content of apprenticeship frameworks and local opportunities, for young people, parents, employers, careers teachers and Connexions personal advisers;
• a major national marketing campaign over the next three years, costing about £16 million; and
• widespread celebration of success in apprenticeship, involving award ceremonies, skills competitions and explicit recognition for participating employers.

The Committee recommends that the Secretary of State and LSC set up an independent advisory board to monitor progress against the action plan. Once apprenticeship is more firmly established, the government should consider putting its principal institutions on a statutory basis.