Tories blast Labour over 'shocking' apprenticeship targets

24 February 2009

Business

The Conservatives have predicted that the government will significantly miss its 130,000 apprentices-a-year target.

In the week that the government's national Apprenticeship Week and Proskills' Apprenticeship Awards got under way, shadow skills secretary David Willetts claimed the number of apprentices employed is falling sharply, leaving a "huge gap" between ministers' promises and their actual achievements.

Labour has said it would ensure 130,000 apprentices per year until 2010-11, but David Cameron's party says official figures show 112,600 apprenticeships were completed in 2007-08, up from 111,800 in 2006-08, meaning this target won't be reached until 2029-30.

Willetts said: "The number of under-25s starting apprenticeships is falling, and there's a particularly shocking fall in apprenticeships for 16- to 18-year-olds. Once again, Gordon Brown is letting down young people and failing to deliver the skills we need to emerge from the recession."

Labour, however is sticking to its guns. Skills secretary John Denham said: "David Willetts is wrong. We will meet our target of 130,000 completions by 2010-11."

The news comes as Proskills hosts its third Sector Apprenticeship Awards – an event open to all apprentices in the UK within the Proskills sectors.

Categories include Advanced Apprentice of the Year, Apprentice of the Year, and Achiever of the Year. Presentations will be made at a Gala Dinner, scheduled for November this year.

Terry Watts, chief executive of Proskills, said: "Despite the harsh realities of the recession, it's crucial that businesses think beyond the downturn of today and continue to review its skills base for the upturn of tomorrow.

"There has never been a better time to access funding to support apprenticeships, and we are determined to ensure companies, employees and young people embarking on careers for the first time are fully aware of the options and funding available to them through our planned activities for Apprenticeship Week, as well as through our Apprenticeship Awards scheme."

Gordon Brown recently pledged a further £140m funding to the government's £1bn investment into apprenticeships by 2010/2011.