Search

date: 23 February 2009

embargo: For immediate release

Government is practising what it preaches on apprenticeships, says TUC

Responding to the Government's announcement today (Monday) of 21,000 new Apprenticeships across the public sector, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'As well as encouraging employers to take on apprentices, it's good to see the Government practising what it preaches and taking on trainees across the public sector too.

'The Government should now use its purchasing power to make sure companies that bid for public sector contracts provide more Apprenticeship opportunities.

'Unions are committed to high quality Apprenticeships and believe they should be at the heart of a skills-based economy that we would like to see emerge from the recession.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The TUC is launching a new guide for unions to encourage more employers to take on apprentices at an event co-hosted by unionlearn SERTUC and the Ambassadors Network at TUC headquarters in London on Tuesday 24 February.

- The TUC Apprenticeships guide - Apprenticeships are Union Business - is available to download from www.tuc.org.uk/extras/apprenticeshipsguideforunions.pdf

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (300 words) issued 23 Feb 2009