§ Rob MarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the level of employer engagement with the modern apprenticeship scheme. [150003]
§ Mr. Ivan Lewis"The Learning and Training at Work 2002" survey reveals that 10 per cent. of all employers of 16 to 24 year olds employ Foundation Modern Apprenticeships (FMA) and 4 per cent. employ Advanced Modern Apprenticeships (AMA). Larger employers are much more likely to employ modern apprentices than small firms: of all employers with over 500 staff who employ 16 to 24 year olds, 29 per cent. employ FMAs and 24 per cent. employ AMAs.
In 2002, 57 per cent. of employers were aware of AMAs (compared to 51 per cent. in 2001). Meanwhile, 45 per cent. of employers were aware of FMAs (compared to 39 per cent. in 2001).
The latest survey of MA employers reveals that, in 89 per cent. of cases, employers are very satisfied with the MA programme. Moreover, the majority of current employers (representing 91 per cent. of MAs) say they intend to continue offering MAs in the future.