Apprenticeships are the answer to getting young people in work

Once, the UK looked enviously at the German and Swiss “skills miracles,” renowned for their robust apprenticeship systems and highly skilled workforces. Today, the tables have turned. Many countries now look to Britain as a beacon of innovation in skills development and apprenticeships, says Robert Halfon

The government has just released a White Paper on its plan to “Get Britain Working” — part of its laudable ambition of increasing the employment rate to 80 per cent, bringing 2m more people into the workforce. We know how vital this is to the UK economy — since Covid, economic inactivity rates have spiralled, with lasting consequences for individuals who lose out on the opportunities that come with a job.

There is much in the document to be celebrated. It’s long overdue that local communities should have the power to create their own work, health and skills plans. And the government’s new ‘youth guarantee’ to give young people the certainty of employment or training is vital. However, with the most recent labour market statistics showing that almost 15 per cent of young people are unemployed, it must be a priority to ensure that the support we offer our young people to get into the workplace is enough to meet this challenge.

Key to this will be ensuring that young people across the UK have access to the right education and skills offer, and on this, the government would be wise to look at the successes of the last 15 years. I spent much of my time as a minister pushing forward Britain’s revolution in skills and apprenticeships. Since 2010, we have over 5m new apprentices covering 700 occupations, from aeronautical engineering to zoology, with business, digital, healthcare, legal, media, nursing, and policing in between. The introduction of degree apprenticeships has added prestige and quality, and more and more students are now taking this option instead of a costly student loan.  

Since 2010, we have over 5m new apprentices covering 700 occupations, from aeronautical engineering to zoology, with business, digital, healthcare, legal, media, nursing, and policing in between

Apprenticeships are the best means of ensuring that young people currently unemployed gain the right skills and knowledge to thrive in the workplace while earning a living. Indeed, we’re seeing UK companies embrace apprenticeships to address their growing talent shortages and boost stagnating productivity. Recent data from O’Reilly shows that half of employers consider digital, on-the-job training more important than higher education, reflecting the recognition of the value of work-based learning in developing a skilled workforce.

One shining example of this transformation is JCB, a long champion of apprenticeships.  In 2023, JCB announced plans to recruit over 200 new apprentices, its largest-ever intake. Max Jeffery, Group Training Director at JCB, said: “Our apprenticeship programs are not just about filling immediate vacancies. They’re about building a pipeline of skilled workers who understand our business from the ground up. We’ve seen tremendous success with our apprentices, many of whom have gone on to senior positions within the company.”

Once, the UK looked enviously at the German and Swiss “skills miracles,” renowned for their robust apprenticeship systems and highly skilled workforces. Today, the tables have turned. Many countries now look to Britain as a beacon of innovation in skills development and apprenticeships. Businesses are leading this transformative journey, with this year, nearly two-thirds of businesses increasing their investment in apprenticeships. 

A Conservative legacy

We must continue to embrace this as we look to get more and more young people back into the workforce, and we should support the businesses leading the charge in developing these great schemes. The Jobs Foundation, with its work to promote the value of business in our communities, is leading the way in ensuring that employers’ contribution to the skills agenda is properly recognised. If the government is serious about hitting its 80 per cent employment target and hundreds of thousands of young people back into the workforce, groups like The Jobs Foundation will be crucial in spreading best practices on how companies use apprenticeships to get people back to work. 

Recently, I met the most wonderful nurse. She came up to say hello at a graduation ceremony where I had spoken. Movingly, she hugged me and said she wanted to say thank you for my encouragement of degree apprenticeships. Because of that, she had decided to do a degree apprenticeship in nursing and was in the second cohort of these new apprenticeships. Another time, a brilliant young accountant – in her early twenties – who had set up her own successful accountancy firm – but first did an apprenticeship – told me – she had been given a lift off because of our work on apprenticeships.  

While the Conservatives will be remembered for their significant success in raising education standards, especially in reading, a further legacy will be establishing a skills and apprenticeship revolution that, if continued, will be the key to the Labour government achieving their ambition of getting two million people back to work.

The Rt Hon Rob Halfon is the former Minister for Apprenticeships, Skills & Higher Education and Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee. He is now Apprenticeship and Skills Director at the Jobs Foundation