“California’s energy efficiency policies will provide significant numbers of jobs in an era of persistent high unemployment, volatile oil prices and economic instability,” said Carol Zabin, one of the lead authors of the report and co-director of UC Berkeley’s Donald Vial Center for Employment in the Green Economy.

The report, “California Workforce Education and Training Needs Assessment for Energy Efficiency, Demand Response and Distributed Generation,” was mandated by the California Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan and funded by the state’s utility ratepayers, under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

“California has always been in the forefront of clean energy and energy conservation,” said California Public Utilities Commission President Michael R. Peevey. “After 30 years of promoting energy efficiency, this report not only provides a timely account for how these efforts currently shape California’s labor economy during the worst recession since the Great Depression, but also provides a glimpse into the future for how California can continue to promote an energy efficient economy that positively impacts not only our leadership in promoting the green economy generally, but also our recovering labor market.”

The study forecasts about $11.2 billion worth of public and private investments in energy efficiency in California by the year 2020, up from $6.6 billion in 2010. This investment will create about 211,000 jobs in 2020.  The jobs — which represent one year of full-time work — will result not just from the direct

“The jobs will be distributed throughout the economy, not just in “green” businesses or occupations,” said Karen Chapple, co-author and UC Berkeley associate professor of city and regional planning.

The future jobs that are directly related to energy efficiency work — and thus in need of “green” training — are primarily in traditional construction trades, such electricians, carpenters and sheet metal workers, and the researchers said that very few are in new specialized “green” occupations such as energy auditors or solar installers.

The researchers dismiss fears about shortages of new workers for energy-efficiency and related jobs as unwarranted, through at least 2020, because of the long queue of unemployed workers already in the main occupations

However, they said there are serious concerns about work quality.  Prior research revealed that poor quality installation and maintenance of energy efficient equipment and materials is common in some sectors, such as residential retrofitting and air conditioning, and the UC Berkeley team found that this low quality is correlated with low wages and high worker turnover.

Zabin and the other researchers warned that unless building codes and other regulations are enforced, quality standards are placed on contractors, skill certifications are required, and workers are rewarded for acquiring skills with higher wages, these quality problems will undermine efforts to achieve energy efficiency goals and to create good jobs for Californians.  Job training is necessary, but not sufficient to improve quality, they added.

Their exploration of education and training programs found more than 1,000 training programs throughout the state already offering basic to advanced training for the most in-demand occupations.  These are located in four-year colleges, community colleges, state-certified apprenticeship programs, utility training centers, private training organizations, community-based organizations and high school career technical programs.

Concerns about shortages of jobs for graduates from education and training programs are real and likely to persist through 2020, particularly for those with less than four years of college, so emphasis should be placed on revamping and leveraging existing training programs, the researchers noted in their report.

The research also revealed that the training and education system works much better for professionals and apprenticeship-based commercial construction trades workers than for workers in the residential sector, where low wages and lack of career pathways are common.  This is problematic, according to the report, because the residential sector is key to improving energy efficiency and is the focus of major retrofit policy efforts and programs.

To help California meet its energy efficiency goals and maximize the related job opportunities, the researchers recommend the following actions:

Continue and strengthen policies and programs to improve energy efficiency, reduce peak demand and develop localized distributed energy generation.
Set clear skill certification requirements for workers doing energy efficiency work and encourage businesses to adopt them, particularly as new technologies are introduced.
Support employers who invest in a stable, higher skill and higher wage workforce by enforcing building codes and other regulations, by setting standards on contractors who receive public and ratepayer funded incentives or contracts, and by requiring skill certifications for workers
Focus workforce education and training on “greening” the traditional trade occupations, rather than creating new narrow and short-term energy efficiency-specific training programs.
Support state-certified apprenticeships and improve coordination between community colleges programs and apprenticeships. Support strong on-ramps into professional jobs and apprenticeship for Californians from disadvantaged communities through career technical education and pre-apprenticeship programs in high-school and community colleges.

Assisting with the report were the California Community College Centers of Excellence and Research into Action Inc., a research firm specializing in energy efficiency and related issues.

Source: UC Berkeley

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The Chief Secretary made the announcement ahead of a visit to Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth whose award-winning apprenticeship program teaches young people in the South West to build and refit luxury yachts. He also met apprentices at Fifteen Cornwall in Watergate Bay, which trains and inspires young Cornish people to develop careers as professional chefs.

The additional funding will go to training providers who will work with employers locally to meet their needs. Employers should contact the National Apprenticeship Service or training providers to find out more about Apprenticeships in their area. The NAS employer helpline is 08000 150 600 and their website has more information at www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

Visiting Cornwall the Chief Secretary, Danny Alexander said:

“I’m incredibly impressed by the achievements of the apprentices I’ve met today in Falmouth and Newquay. These apprenticeship programs are leading the charge in Cornwall and I’d like to invite other businesses in the South West to take up the apprenticeship challenge and use government funding to help deliver these additional 10,000 places.

“Returning the UK to sustainable economic growth is the Government’s overriding priority. Despite having to take tough decisions elsewhere we have increased investment in apprenticeships to £1.4 billion next year, because this is an investment for the future.”

Source: nds.coi.gov.uk

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Microsoft’s commitment to increase the number of apprentices throughout their supply chain is a major boost to the Mayor’s apprenticeship drive, which aims to deliver 20,000 new opportunities in the capital by the end of the current academic year. This will support young jobseekers, especially young jobseekers, and help to keep London’s businesses competitive. Latest figures show that London is on track to meet this target, with around 9,000 positions created – up almost 30 per cent on the same period last year.

There was further good news for London today as Virgin Media confirmed it will be offering nearly 90 apprenticeships in 2011 and global law firm Norton Rose announced it will also make apprenticeships part of its recruitment policy. The Mayor is particularly keen to see more apprentices in companies like these and in other areas where they are traditionally underrepresented, including financial and business services, and the cultural and creative sectors.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said:

“Unemployment is a social and personal disaster which eats away at self-confidence making people less employable. It is a waste of talent, a waste of hope and is hugely expensive for society. Apprenticeships can make all the difference to an eager job seeker’s prospects. Time in the right workplace, with the right boss, can be worth months of training, teaching discipline, boosting self- belief and setting young people up for life.

“I applaud the companies that have announced their commitment to apprenticeships. London’s businesses need to redouble their efforts to save what could otherwise become a wasted generation. They can make the difference by creating these crucial openings and at the same time build a skilled workforce tailored to the needs of the business.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

“I want to reinforce the message to business and young people that apprenticeships are a first-class way to start a career. That is why my department has pledged to work to create some 75,000 additional adult places than those promised by the previous government.

“Some of the most prestigious companies in England – large and small, public and private – employ apprentices and benefit from doing so. More than 30% of Rolls-Royce apprentices have progressed to senior management roles within the company. And 80% of those who employ apprentices agree that they make the workplace more productive.

“I’m calling on more businesses to follow this lead.”

Stephen Uden, Head of Skills & Economic Affairs, Microsoft Ltd:

“We know from experience with our Britain Works program that apprenticeships give people a tremendous advantage, not only in terms of helping them get the job that they want, but also in terms of future earning potential. With the issue of unemployment affecting more and more of us, apprenticeships represent a direct route into business that secures important skills for employers and apprentices. London is the engine room of the UK economy and over the next three years Microsoft intends to deliver 1,000 apprenticeships in the capital through our network of partners.

“This effort forms part of Microsoft’s Britain Works program, launched in 2009, which is designed to help 500,000 people back into work by 2012.”

Sir Michael Rake, BT chairman, said:

“Apprenticeships are undoubtedly good for BT’s business and play a key role in ensuring that we maintain and develop a highly skilled workforce.  More importantly, for young people, they’re a great way to transform their raw enthusiasm into valuable skills that that will serve them well wherever their careers take them.”

Source: london.gov

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Tim is the founder and CEO of Bright Ideas Trust and the first winner of BBC TV’s ‘The Apprentice’. He entered the Apprentice competition whilst he was a Senior Planner at Transport for London.

Initially, the voluntary role will focus on a major campaign to increase the number of apprentices across London and develop the Mayor’s overall apprenticeship strategy. The Mayor also wants to draw on Tim’s unique motivational, business and leadership skills to inspire business and Londoners and companies to develop and become involved in new training opportunities, as well as setting up new businesses in the capital.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

“London’s future prosperity depends on the quality and skills of its workforce and it is essential at this time that we step up a gear in our drive to create more training opportunities across the city. Tim is incredibly suited to this important challenge, bringing extensive business experience and investment in London’s aspiring entrepreneurs. His understanding of London and its businesses, plus his unwavering enthusiasm, will inspire and motivate others to ingrain training initiatives into the heart of their business planning and make the most of the talent we have in London.“

Tim Campbell, founder and CEO of Bright Ideas Trust said:

“London is a great city of opportunity brimming with ideas and talent that we continually harness. There is also a huge, untapped talent pool hidden within businesses and individuals across our capital. The key to unlocking it is the development of real in-work training initiatives that allow people to realize their potential and businesses to develop those home-grown skills to the benefit of the company.

“Some of those on apprenticeships will come up with bright ideas for creating wealth and this will also be a key focus for me. I am looking forward to working closely with the Mayor and his team in supporting exciting new training opportunities across London. “

Source: London.gov

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On the final day of National Apprenticeship Week, the Minister meets apprentices at the Yeovil based firm, which has trebled its apprenticeship intake in the past four years.

Major UK employers are expecting to hire thousands of apprentices in 2010 and the government is encouraging all businesses to take up the new Apprentice Grant for Employers (AGE) scheme offering a £2,500 grant for each 16 or 17-year-old apprentice taken on.

Business Minister Pat McFadden said: “Becoming an apprentice is a great way of learning a trade and I am pleased to see firms like AgustaWestland giving people the chance to gain vital skills and experience.

“In 1997 apprenticeships had dwindled as a route for people to gain new skills – today we have 239,900 starting Apprenticeships and businesses of all sizes are reaping the rewards of having a highly skilled workforce.”

Graham Cole, Managing Director of AgustaWestland said:

“AgustaWestland has always been a strong supporter of apprenticeships and continues to invest in these schemes as it knows today’s apprentices will be a great asset to the Company in the future.

“We are committed to developing young people’s talents and are very proud that our training schemes were recently awarded ‘Outstanding’ status following our first OFSTED inspection.”

A total of 27,700 people started apprenticeships in the South West in 2008/9 and more than half of the businesses surveyed in the region who employ apprentices said they had made a positive contribution during the recession.

Simon Waugh, Chief Executive of the National Apprenticeship Service, said:

“The time is absolutely right for businesses of all sizes to take on apprentices. Our research shows that firms who take on apprentices have been in great shape to face the downturn.

“Last year saw a seven per cent increase in apprentices; that’s 240,000 people freshly into the jobs market, with the determination to succeed. What continues to surprise me is the number of companies who still haven’t switched on to apprentices and the value they bring to businesses.”

Source: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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The Government’s ambitious response to Unleashing Aspiration, the final report from the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, agrees to implement the vast majority of the panel’s 88 recommendations.

The Panel, led by the Rt Hon Alan Milburn MP, challenged Government to do more to ensure that people with ability, creativity and talent can succeed in the professions, regardless of their social or economic background. Achieving this aspiration calls for reform in schools, in colleges, in universities and in the professions themselves.

The measures announced today look to harness activity across Government and the professional associations. They include:

·         The creation of an online National Internship Service, building on success of the ‘Graduate Talent Pool’. This free, nationwide service will help undergraduates and graduates access opportunities and information to develop their employability skills and establish quality standards to benefit both interns and employers.  Bursary funding will be available for students from low income backgrounds lacking the means to support themselves.  This follows the commitment in the Pre-Budget Report to deliver £8m funding for up to 10,000 new undergraduate internships.

·         A guarantee, building on the New Opportunities White Paper published last year, for around 130,000 of the brightest young people from low-income backgrounds to benefit from structured assistance at secondary school. Beginning in 2012, this package should include experience of Higher Education, mentoring and access to high quality information, advice and guidance.

·         A new Social Mobility Commission to provide expert evidence on trends and policy on social mobility, and produce an annual report on progress made towards a fairer, more socially mobile society.

·         The launch of an expanded Gateways to the Professions Collaborative Forum with an increased remit covering a wider range of professions. Chaired by David Lammy, the Minister for Higher Education and involving senior representatives from 60 key professions. The Forum will advise on and implement many of the panel’s recommendations and will ask professional organizations to report on and share work done to improve access in each of their fields.

Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said:

“My mission is to ensure that all of Britain’s people, from every background, are given the opportunity to develop their talents and learn the skills which will transform their lives. And this social mobility must be rooted in our core value of fairness.

“In many ways society is already fairer. Six hundred thousand children have been lifted out of poverty, record numbers of our young people are going to university, one in three people of working age is a member of a profession, and the gender pay gap has narrowed.

“But we can’t be a truly aspirational society if some people are still denied the chance to get on, and although we have raised the glass ceiling we have yet to break it. That is why our priority will be to remove all the barriers that are holding people back.”

The Government response was coordinated by Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. Pat McFadden. He said:

“There are still great causes in politics and ensuring that people can achieve their potential based on their talent, hard work and character, regardless of their background, race or gender is one such great cause.  We have made progress in raising, but must now break through, the glass ceiling of social mobility in this country.

“This isn’t about class war – the real class war would be to tell people they should know their place and to continue restricting opportunity to a narrow group.  This is about opening up opportunity to the broad majority in Britain, to ensure that those who have the ability also get the chance to do the kinds of professional jobs which are going to grow in number in future years.  The measures we have announced in recent months, and the further steps we announce today will help raise the aspirations of young people and they demonstrate our long-term commitment to a more socially mobile society.“

Today’s response builds on measures already announced in key strategy documents published last autumn, including:

·    Higher Ambitions – measures to ensure wider and fairer access to Higher Education, a high-quality experience for all students and more flexible courses to reflect the reality of modern working lives.

·    Skills for Growth – measures to give people greater choice in their training including the national roll out of Skills Accounts and offer apprentices alternative routes into higher education and the professions.

·    DCSF’s Quality, Choice and Aspiration: A strategy for young people’s information, advice and guidance – measures to modernize careers education to make it accessible for today’s generation of young people and ensure they have equal access to the careers of their choice.

In addition, in September the Prime Minister announced that the Government was joining forces with the Federation of Small Business (FSB) to boost the employability of up to 10,000 graduates, through internships in small and micro businesses.

To increase participation in Higher Education by young people from poorer backgrounds the Government actively encourages universities to take a broad and innovative approach to identify talent. And Sir Martin Harris has been asked to consult vice-chancellors on further action that can be taken to widen access to university before reporting back to Ministers in the spring.

In his independent review of higher education funding and student finance, Lord Browne will look at ensuring that the higher education system caters for full and part time students and ensuring that finance is not a barrier to access.

Source: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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In an upbeat end of year report Mr Healey said that Government backed housebuilding was not only helping to tackle the shortage of affordable homes but also supporting the construction industry when it needed it most – it will protect and create new jobs including 2,800 new apprenticeships.

Money released through the Homes and Communities Agency since John Healey became Housing Minister in June was boosted by the extra £1.5bn funding for the Prime Minister’s Housing Pledge, which saw Government funds switched into the building of new homes.

The Minister also pledged that this housing boost will continue into the new year. He confirmed plans to give the green light to a second phase of the biggest council house building program for two decades, approve more cash to get workers back on building sites of developments stalled by the recession and sign off further funding for housing associations to build more low cost homes for rent or sale.

Mr Healey also said that in the New Year he will announce the first Government land for new homes under the Public Land Initiative. This is a new deal for the construction industry where Government and public agencies provide the land, but they take out the upfront costs and risks involved in site purchase and preparation allowing partners to operate at lower overheads and profit margins in the region of six or seven per cent rather than the 15-20 per cent norm for traditional housebuilders.

Over £245 million of today’s funding for more affordable homes will go to Housing Associations in all regions of the country, creating or protecting jobs or apprenticeships. And, as part of the Government’s Backing Young Britain campaign, the Housing Minister has put in place contractual conditions which will mean that the multi billion pound Housing Pledge investment will create not just homes but 2,800 apprenticeships in the housing construction and related sectors.

Speaking to apprentices in Leeds last month Mr Healey saw for himself how the young builders were gaining a firm foundation in their career on a new build site.

Schemes receiving funding in November’s allocation under the National Affordable Housing Programme include;

• £12.5m will provide 97 affordable homes in Wapping Lane, Tower Hamlets. This is the first large development site in Wapping for over a decade.

• £641,663 will help provide better short term accommodation for women seeking refuge from domestic violence in Wigan.

• £2,495,000 will aid in the delivery of 46 new homes in Charlton Hayes, Filton, including retail, community space and a school to serve the new development and existing communities.

John Healey said:

“Today I am announcing £270million to build almost 5,000 new homes. This funding means that since June I have backed housebuilders who need to kickstart sites stalled by the recession, housing associations willing to build extra affordable homes and councils who want to build new council homes to the tune of over £2billion.

“This is what it means to use the power of Government investment to help the country through the recession by building the homes we need and creating the jobs to keep people in work. The Homes and Communities Agency has done a heroic job in making this happen.

“But I want every taxpayer’s pound to go further. That’s why I have said that if developers want a slice of Government cash then they must offer jobs for local workers and apprenticeship schemes. Last month I saw for myself how Government cash has got a stalled development in Leeds back on track and met two apprentices who now have a chance to learn the building trade on site.

“This isn’t a one off. Across the country workers are already back on mothballed sites, youngsters are getting a head start in their careers, councils are starting to build homes again and developers are getting much needed support during the recession. And crucially thousands of new homes, many for low cost rent or sale, are being built. But this is just the start and there is much more in the pipeline in the New Year.”

Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency, said:

“I am pleased that the HCA has risen to Government’s challenge to allocate this funding to places where it is needed most and where it can have the biggest impact on people’s lives.  Every house we fund helps to build a community – a decent place to live, jobs for construction workers and economic activity that benefits local businesses.  Seen together the HCA’s housing programs represent a massive boost to the house building industry and a significant investment in the creation of thriving communities.”

Source: Communities and Local Government

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The Government will:

• Create a modern class of technicians, through a dramatic expansion of  advanced apprenticeships, creating 35,000 new places over the next two years;
• Give every adult a personal skills account, empowering learners to shop around for training with new information on how well different courses and colleges can meet their needs;
• Radically simplify the way in which skills policy is delivered – working with the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to reduce the number of public bodies by more than 30.

Lord Mandelson said:

“Higher level skills have never been more important to our growth. The strategy marks a radical shift in our skills priorities. It shows how we”s make sure we’ve got the skills to power the new industries and jobs of the future.

“We need engineers to lay the cables to expand access to high-speed internet, skilled people to build the electric vehicles of the future, and technicians to develop the medicines that will save lives.

“The goal of this strategy is a skills system defined not simply by targets based on achieved qualifications, but by ‘real world’ outcomes. Relevant, quality skills, with real market value.”

In addition, the Government will:

• Work with business to focus funding on the areas of the economy that can do most to drive growth and jobs, deploying around £100m to support around 160,000 training places in areas such as life sciences, digital media and technology, advanced manufacturing, engineering, construction and low carbon energy;
• Offer 1,000 new scholarships worth £1,000 each, to encourage the best apprentices to progress into higher education;  and
• Give more employers the chance to drive and shape training provision through launching a fifth competitive bidding round of the National Skills Academies program.

Through these policies Skills for Growth – The National Skills Strategy sets out a pathway to achieving a bold new ambition for three quarters of the population to go to university or get an advanced technical qualification by the age of 30.

Source: Department for Business Innovation and Skills

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Councils will be inviting budding horticulturists to apply for green apprenticeships as part of the government’s drive to tackle the number of young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET). The scheme aims to help young people develop new ‘green’ skills that will lead to future full time employment.

As part of the announcement, Mr Denham will put another £700,000 into the pot to create 175 council horticulture apprenticeships following the overwhelming response to last year’s launch that created 47 apprenticeships.

Today, only around 5 per cent of 16 year olds are NEET – the lowest for over a decade.  Despite this Mr Denham, in a speech to the Local Government Association, was clear that ‘We cannot be complacent, in the downturn we need to redouble our efforts to address this problem.’

Mr Denham outlined three areas where all councils should follow the example of the best – helping create more apprenticeship places; taking advantage of the huge financial support from Government; and demonstrating their public and practical commitment by signing up to the Backing Young Britain campaign.

John Denham said:

“This scheme will start the training for a new generation of green-fingered apprentices, giving them the skills that this country needs to keep our parks and gardens growing.

“Green spaces should be at the heart of our communities if we’re really going to tackle climate change and protect our environment and our health. These apprentices will be green ambassadors in the areas that need them most.

“The Government is determined to play its part in supporting every single young person through these difficult times, making sure that everyone has access to learning and training beyond the school gate.”

Councils will be looking for people who can prove their gardening prowess and follow in the footsteps of one former green apprentice, Alan Titchmarsh. As a youngster, Alan was given the chance to train as a green apprentice by Ilkley Council, Yorkshire.

Adding his support for the scheme, Alan Titchmarsh MBE said:

“As a former green apprentice myself I believe the practical skills provided by these apprenticeships are just as important as university degrees. This country needs a new generation of gardeners and I’m delighted more budding horticulturists will soon be able to sign up to this popular scheme.”

Speaking at the LGA conference on young people, Mr Denham said:

“Every single young person in Britain deserves every possible opportunity to realize their potential and get their adult life off to a successful start.  This current generation cannot be denied their chance because of the tougher economic climate.

“On the contrary – it should make us even more determined to make sure they have the support and chances they need.

“We in central Government are making those opportunities available – through unprecedented investment in the Future Jobs Fund, in apprenticeships, and through the Backing Young Britain campaign; as well as our ongoing investment in and reforms to education.  But we cannot do it alone.  We are relying on councils to play their part.”

Iain Wright, Minister for Apprenticeships and 14-19 Reform, said:

“John Denham is right that we shouldn’t leave any young person behind. A generation of young people in the 1980s failed to meet their potential and the social and economic consequences are still being felt today.

“At a time of economic downturn, it is vital we continue to invest in young people – and the September Guarantee, the 14-19 curriculum reforms and Education Maintenance Allowance are all having a major positive effect.

“Latest official figures show that the percentage of 16- and 17-year-olds who are NEET fell for the third consecutive year and the proportion of 16-year-olds NEET was the lowest for more than a decade.

“Today’s announcement to further support Apprenticeships and to recognize those local authorities which boost youth employment is more evidence of this Government’s commitment to reduce the number of young people NEET.”

Source: Communities and Local Government

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The Government is already committed to increasing spending on apprentices in the next year to just under £1billion and the £140m is in addition to that and will expand the program even further over the next twelve months. We expect well over a quarter of a million apprentices to begin their training in the next financial year.

This is seen as a key part of the wider Government initiatives to boost employment prospects in the downturn and will be announced by the Prime Minister, as part of his regional tour, at Rolls-Royce in Derby today.

For many people an apprenticeship will provide a high quality route into a skilled job and the additional funding will extend the opportunities so that even more people can benefit from on-the-job training in skilled professions.

Skills Secretary, John Denham said:

“Now more than ever it is important that we give people the real help they need to get and keep jobs. This is an important initiative and is a further signal of our determination to give people the chance to get the practical training they need to get on and to help ensure the country has the skilled workers it needs to benefit from the upturn.” Children, Schools and Families Secretary, Ed Balls said:

“In the current economic climate it is vital we continue to provide young people with a clear path into skilled work. For many young people an apprenticeship will provide an ideal pathway to successful employment. We must make sure we can meet demand so that more people can benefit and earn while they learn.

“We’ve already committed to providing £1bn of investment for apprenticeships next year, but this further boost will ensure more people get the training they need to help them pursue a future career in the global marketplace.

“And we have legislated to raise the education and training age to 18 so that in future every young person will continue to learn – whether by staying on at school, going to college or doing an apprenticeship or other work-based learning.”

The additional 35,000 apprentices will work in both the public and private sectors and will be delivered through a range of measures. This will include using the power of the public sector, as some of the nation’s largest employers, to make available new apprenticeships opportunities within a broad range of public sector careers. In addition to this the Government will use the huge leverage available to it through public procurement to promote skills and apprenticeships, and commit to ensuring that all publicly let contracts contain relevant skills training and apprenticeship requirements.

The initiative will be announced today at Rolls-Royce in Derby. It has a large apprenticeship program and with Government support and with the help of other partners it will take on at least 50 extra apprentices in addition to the 170 it has already committed to. The 50 apprentices will be trained to work in other local companies many of which form part of Rolls-Royce’s supply chain.

Source: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills

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Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Superdrug and Phones 4u have committed to expand massively their numbers of apprentices, to ensure they have the right skills to stay ahead of the competition. Sainsbury’s has recently quadrupled the number of apprentices across its stores to 465, Tesco will have a further 800, Superdrug plan a further 1,000 while Phones 4u intends to train at least 1,000 apprentices by next April.

Skills Secretary John Denham said:

“This shows that we are well on the way to making apprenticeships a mainstream option for young people who want to get on. We anticipate that one in five of all young people will be undertaking an apprenticeship by the end of the next decade.

“This Government has rescued and rebuilt apprenticeships and seen their numbers dramatically increase over the past 10 years. In 1996-97, just 65,000 people started an apprenticeship. That figure nearly trebled to 184,000 in 2006-07. But we need to go much further, which is precisely why we are investing £1 billion by 2010/11.

“It’s great that private sector employers are making such a commitment to and an investment in their workforce. We need to do the same in the public sector and must ensure that every pound invested by taxpayers not only helps deliver new infrastructure projects but will also help provide the skilled workers needed in the future and enable more people to build a strong career. Apprenticeships are an excellent way to do this.”"

Skills Secretary John Denham will today highlight plans to ensure that Government-funded building projects are used to encourage construction firms to employ more apprentices. The plan is boosted by the recent decision to bring forward capital spending to help the economy recover from the downturn. This year alone, Government Departments and their Agencies will spend more than £7 billion on construction projects including schools, colleges, hospitals and roads.

Ministers want to bring that purchasing power to bear to increase the number of apprentices – by looking at requiring successful contractors to have apprentices working on the project. It is thought that such a move could help deliver upwards of 7,000 apprenticeships in the next three years.

The Government has previously announced that unnecessary bureaucracy such as demands to store paperwork for up to six years, multiple inspection visits and monthly reporting requirements will be ditched at the earliest possible opportunity.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls said:

“Employers recognize that they need well trained staff to compete and succeed in the market place. This significant increase of available Apprenticeships will help ensure they have the skilled staff they want. There is a great demand for Apprenticeship places from young people, which this will also go toward fulfilling.

“As we continue to drive forward the expansion of Apprenticeships the new National Apprenticeship Service will help ensure they are high quality and that employers and potential apprentices can be matched up.”

Supermarket giants Sainsbury’s and Tesco are also increasing their apprentice numbers. Sainsbury’s has been so pleased with its 20 pilot apprenticeships in craft bakery, butchery and fish mongery that it has quadrupled the number of apprentices.

Tesco has recently more than doubled the number of employees put through its Apprenticeships program as a valuable way to enhance the skills and careers of its staff.

Mobile phone retailer Phones 4u has expanded its apprenticeship program by 400 per cent following a successful trial of 200 apprentices in March, having committed to the Government’s Skills Pledge, a public declaration by an employer to train all of its staff. The company intends to train at least a thousand apprentices by April 2009. High street chain Superdrug is set to double its apprentices before August 2009 in a bid to boost business performance.

David Way, National Director of Skills at the Learning and Skills Council said:

“It’s very encouraging to see such large companies increasing their apprenticeship programs.

“This is proof that apprenticeships make things happen; helping businesses improve productivity, helping individuals to have successful and rewarding careers and ensuring that the country is able to compete in the global market.

“Hiring apprentices is an excellent way for a business to grow its own talent. They offer a great return on investment as the training is often fully-funded and businesses can be eligible for further financial support towards their apprentices’ wages.

“We urge employers to take on apprentices and start reaping the benefits.”

The new Children, Skills and Learning Bill announced last week in the Queen’s Speech will give all suitably qualified young people a legal right to an apprenticeship from 2013. It will put the apprenticeship program on a legal footing and strengthen the program by ensuring that in future apprentices and their employers have a jointly agreed contract. It also sets out in legislation the rights and responsibilities of the new National Apprenticeship Service, whose chief executive was announced today.

Alongside the Government’s construction initiative, Ministers have also committed to explore introducing a similar requirement for Government IT contracts. It is estimated the Government spends around £[14] billion each year on IT contracts and will soon host a summit of Government IT suppliers to take this work forward.

Sainsbury’s Head of Retail Training Steven Davis, said:

“We are delighted with our apprenticeship program, not only are there business benefits but it also gives our colleagues a great training program with a well earned qualification at the end of the 18 months.

“In June 2007 Sainsbury’s was the first retailer to make the Skills Pledge and in May 2008 we announced that our industry-leading apprenticeship will enable us to have at least one apprentice in each of our 465 supermarkets and we are on track to deliver this by April 2010.”

Lorna Bryson, Tesco’s Head of UK Resourcing says:

“Since we launched the apprentice program in 2004, a thousand members of staff have successfully completed their apprenticeship, with a further 800 enrolling this academic year.

“Apprenticeships allow us to provide great training and development to our staff, helping them to recognize their long-term career goals; half of our 2006/07 apprentices have progressed to become managers or team leaders. And Tesco benefits, too, by having hard working, dedicated, and talented individuals that are confident and satisfied in their roles.”

Jo Mackie, HR Director, Superdrug says:

“The apprenticeship programs that we have in place have a direct commercial impact in our stores.

“The more highly skilled our team members are the better service they are able to deliver to our customers and that’s why we are looking to recruit over one thousand further apprentices before 31 July 2009 across our stores and distribution centers.

“In addition we have recently introduced a retail beauty qualification which is the first of its kind.”

Eric Gresswell, Head of Retail Training and Development, Phones 4u said:

“We’ve developed our business focusing on our customers, cutting through the confusion over which phone to choose. It is therefore vital that all our store staff have excellent customer service skills and an apprenticeship program is the best way to achieve a consistently high standard.

“All new joiners going into our stores are required to complete an apprenticeship in either customer or sales service, while existing employees are also required to train for their qualifications. We’re currently finalizing our plans for management apprenticeships across our 400 stores.”

Source: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills

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Vodafone have committed to 2000 apprenticeship starts in 2008-09, Superdrug to 1,000, Sainsbury’s to 400, Barchester Healthcare to 350 and Veolia to 250. These are all substantial increases on current numbers, while Phones4u have just set up their new program for more than 200 by the end of this year.

Veolia and Dollond & Aitchison are among a group of employers working with Government to pilot ‘over-training’. Already running successful apprenticeship programs, these companies are offering to train a greater number of apprentices than their own organization needs in order to build up the skills in their local area and supply chain. This is the beginning of an ambitious new program.

The announcement builds on the Apprenticeships Review, published in January and launched by the Prime Minister. The Review outlined the Government’s ambitious plans to grow and strengthen apprenticeships, and how those plans would be delivered to ensure apprenticeships become a mainstream option for young people and adults alike.

New research released today by the Learning and Skills Council shows the significant benefits apprenticeships programs can bring to employers. 88 per cent believe apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.

The Secretary of State welcomed today’s commitment from Superdrug, Sainsbury’s, Veolia, Vodafone and others to swell the numbers of apprentices in the coming year.

John Denham said:

“We must work closely with employers to make it easier for them to improve the range of high-quality apprenticeships on offer so that more young people and adults get the skills and qualifications they need.

“I’m delighted that these firms have shown such a commitment to their workforce. Britain will only succeed in the global skills race if we develop the skills of our people to the fullest possible extent and apprenticeships have a key role to play. ”

Vodafone UK HR Director Matthew Brearley said:

“The continued expansion of Vodafone’s apprenticeship programs will further strengthen our recent commitment to the UK Government Skills Pledge. Apprenticeships offer a valuable learning and development opportunity and we actively encourage and support our people to gain the skills and qualifications that will support them throughout their careers.”

Euan Sutherland, CEO of Superdrug, said:

“Superdrug is a people business and our success depends on the skills of our team members. They deserve the best training and development possible and we are committed to putting in place programmes that will enable all colleagues to have nationally recognized qualifications in key skills as well as vocational retail beauty skills. We have set up a dedicated NVQ and Apprenticeship team and are keen to further expand these programmes, giving employees the opportunity to gain additional qualifications in retail beauty skills as well as key skills.”

Gary Tovey, Qualifications and Skills Manager, Sainsbury’s, said:

“At Sainsbury’s we made our Skills Pledge last year and committed to ensuring that all our colleagues could develop their skills. Apprenticeships are something special at Sainsbury’s: we want to build on our successful pilot in bakery and give our colleagues apprenticeships in other specialist areas such as butchery and fish. By 2010 we want every store to have at least one craft apprentice. ”

Henri Proglio, Veolia CEO, said:

“Veolia is the World’s Leading Environmental Service group. In the UK it employs around 24,000 people. With more than 90% of these employees engaged in front-line jobs, we are convinced that we must invest in our people and give them opportunities for professional growth and development, while at the same time fostering initiative and individual responsibility. Apprenticeships are key to helping our Group achieve this goal. ”

Andy Ferguson, Dollond & Aitchison CEO, said:

“We have developed an apprenticeship program which is completely embedded in the business: we relate all of it back to customer service and the job that our people do. We don’t restrict it to young people either: we value it so highly that we offer it to all our new staff, whatever age they are. We know that our customers see the results of this investment every day in our business.”

Dr Terry Tucker, Director of Learning, Development and Hospitality at Barchester Healthcare, said:

“One of Barchester’s strategic objectives is to employ outstanding people; one of the ways we ensure we do this is to offer great career pathways, often starting with apprenticeships – it works for us!”

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