Latest Blogs
‘Top apprentice employer stresses importance of lower level apprenticeships’
A member of the government’s apprenticeship delivery board says opportunities at level 2 and 3 are key. Lower level apprenticeships have the potential to greatly boost productivity, according to the head of apprenticeships at Barclay's. The number of lower level...
‘Could an apprenticeship really be the gateway to a successful career?’
Richard Hines - Principal Specialist inspector at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) A demanding job in a high-pressure environment, dealing with matters of life and death daily, you might think that I’m the product of a Russell Group university...
‘Postgrad apprenticeships: ready for take-off’
You could be forgiven for not having heard of postgraduate degree apprenticeships, also known as level 7 apprenticeships, which were launched in March 2015 with just 30 learners. But these master’s-level programmes have big potential. The Department for...
‘Why schools are perfect places for apprenticeships’
Taking on apprentices can be a way to create exciting opportunities and intricately develop schools' involvement in teacher training, writes one leading headteacher There’s a lot of talk about apprenticeships at the moment, including the dreaded apprenticeship levy. I...
‘Breaking: SFA unveils ‘mystery shopper’ scheme to test how ready providers are for apprenticeship reforms’
The Skills Funding Agency has launched a new “mystery shopper” scheme to find out how prepared providers are for the new apprenticeship reforms. The announcement was made in the online SFA Update just uploaded onto gov.uk. It said: “To help us understand how...
‘Heads and governors call on chancellor to do more for schools facing “impossible choices” on funding’
Budget must deliver investment that schools 'desperately need', say heads and governors Headteachers and governors have warned of the “impossible choices” they are being forced to make because of the school funding crisis. In an open letter to the chancellor of the...
‘How schools can teach pupils about apprenticeships’
Mia Angell’s 18-year-old son is expected to do well in his A-levels and has had offers from three Russell Group universities to study computer science. However, he’s also applied for a degree apprenticeship with a government organisation, after his school...
‘One in three businesses unaware of new apprenticeship levy, survey finds’
A third of UK businesses are confused or unaware of the financial implications of the new apprenticeship levy due to be implemented in less than two months time, according to new research. Across the country, just one in three businesses surveyed said they were...
‘Do apprenticeships have a bad image?’
Colleges working closely with employers could help with the so-called 'image problem' of apprenticeships, writes one college executive. According to reports in the media, apprenticeships are great. They’re becoming more and more popular and have huge backing from the...