§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the development of Modern Apprenticeships. [28150]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisModern Apprenticeships are an important component of the Government's strategy to boost participation and attainment in learning by young people and to meet the skills needs of employers. They provide high quality vocational pathways for young people to progress from GCSEs or A levels to their chosen profession.
On 29 November 2001, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced the new generation of Modern Apprenticeships and endorsed the main recommendations in the report of Sir John Cassels' Advisory Committee on the development, promotion and delivery of Modern Apprenticeships. These included:
an expansion in employer places so that more than a quarter of young people can enter Modern Apprenticeships before they are 22-years-old, by 2004–05;an entitlement to a Modern Apprenticeship place for all 16 and 17-year-olds with five or more GCSE passes, from September 2004;a national framework for apprenticeship which defines basic standards and strengthens the relationship between the employer and apprentice. Technical certificates will reflect the broader knowledge and understanding acquired through off-the-job learning; anda £16 million marketing campaign, over three years, to promote Modern Apprenticeships and boost take-up among employers and young people.The Learning and Skills Council will spearhead the development and delivery of the new generation of Modern Apprenticeships working with a range of other partners, especially the Connexions Service and the new Sector Skills Councils.
Copies of the report of the Modern Apprenticeship Advisory Committee (September 2001) and the Government's Consultation Response (March 2001) have been placed in the Library in the House of Commons.
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