Call to link apprenticeships more closely with the economy

The NAO picked a number of holes in the Department for Education’s (DfE) approach saying they have yet to set out how an increase in the number of apprenticeships will improve national productivity.

Chris Wood, chief executive of utilities training company Develop Training Limited (DTL), says that not enough is being done to address the skills gaps in the utilities and construction sector.

“Three million apprenticeships in call centre management, hairdressing or book-keeping may be all well and good for government statistics, and possibly provide a solid career for those involved,” he says, “but it would fail to adequately tackle the UK’s real skills shortages in engineering, mechanics and other technical subjects critical to our national infrastructure.

“We are pleased that the NAO have highlighted the need for a more strategic approach to where apprenticeship opportunities are created.”

DTL is urging utilities companies to understand where the skills shortages are and take action to address the problem now. It runs regular skills forums for the industry to identify new initiatives and opportunities for organisations in the sector to cooperate in solving the crisis.

“The skills crisis won’t be assuaged unless we, as an industry, take it upon ourselves to train more young people,” Chris Wood says.