There’s news about a worrying drop in the number of new apprentices taken by 16-18 year-olds and 19-24-year-olds. Although the number of apprenticeships has increased overall by 15%, many of these are as a result of a fourfold increase in the over 25s taking apprenticeships (perhaps linked to the statistics we discussed earlier showing that the vast majority of graduates think apprenticeships are great). So what’s going on?
Unsurprisingly the politicians are blaming each other. David Willetts, the shadow minister for universities and skills, said. “Gordon Brown promised more opportunities for school-leavers, yet today we discover there has been a significant fall in the number of teenagers and young adults starting an apprenticeship. We must help young people through the recession, but Labour has created a lost generation.”
The bright and the best of East England’s apprentices and their employers were celebrated at a special awards event.