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6 Learning and skills

79 Apprentices

Congress notes that traditional craft-based apprenticeships are the most effective form of vocational training for many young workers.

Congress welcomes the Government's renewed commitment to ensure that apprenticeships are a key plank of skills training, which is underlined by their target of 500,000 apprenticeships being offered a year.

Unfortunately in many industries such as construction, employers have failed to value the training of apprentices and have failed to provide apprenticeships, despite the industry experiencing problems of an ageing workforce and growing skills gaps.

Congress welcomes the Government's stance that classroom-based programme-led apprentices are not an adequate alternative to craft apprenticeships and will not be counted in the target of 500,000 apprenticeships.

Congress further notes that the Government has a key strategic role in increasing the number of apprentices through procurement and could play a more proactive role in ensuring that high quality training occurs in many different industrial sectors.

Congress therefore calls upon the General Council to campaign:

i) to ensure that all Government contracts include contract compliance clauses requiring the successful contractor to provide craft-based apprenticeships;

ii) for the devolved administrations and local authorities to also provide contract compliance clauses for apprenticeships when awarding contracts;

iii) to put further pressure on the Government to phase out programme-led apprentices, as they are an inferior form of training; and

iv) to redress the existing imbalance of a far higher number of apprentices being offered in Northern England and Scotland compared to London and the South East.

Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians

80 Training in the public sector

Congress notes with concern that cuts in public sector funding arising from the current Comprehensive Spending Review are undermining the Government's commitment to the Leitch Review recommendations to enable the UK to become a world leader in skills by 2020.

Congress notes that despite the increased skills required in many public sector areas such as the probation service, training provisions are under threat along with threats to jobs, pay and professional standards.

Congress agrees to support union campaigns to oppose attempts to reduce the quality of training and professional development and to campaign for the provision of higher skills for all staff.

Napo

81 Machinery of government for post-16 education and training in England

Congress notes that one of the characteristics of societies with successful post-16 education and training provision, such as Finland, is the stability of the national and sub-national infrastructure which supports this service. Yet in England we seem to be in a constant state of flux in this regard, and this uncertainty inevitably distracts colleges and providers from their core work of educating young people and adults.

Congress calls on the Government to create effective, transparent and workable arrangements fit for a long-term settlement for post-16 education and training in England.

Association For College Management

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