Milburn urges new scheme to prepare young people for apprenticeships

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 06:24 · Archive

A review into youth unemployment will call for a national pre-apprenticeship scheme to bridge the gap between school and work.

Alan Milburn's review into youth unemployment will call for a new national pre-apprenticeship scheme to help young people enter the workforce. The scheme would be delivered in colleges and combine English and maths, technical training and substantial workplace experience with employers. It would be targeted at 16–18-year-olds who lack qualifications, confidence and workplace experience, offered as an alternative to A-levels, BTECs and V-levels.

Milburn said the scheme addresses a gap between leaving school and being ready for a full apprenticeship. 'For many young people there is a gap between leaving school and being ready for a full apprenticeship. They may need to improve their English or maths or get more experience of a workplace,' he said.

The recommendation comes against a backdrop of dramatic decline in youth apprenticeships. As few as one in five apprenticeship starts currently go to 16–18-year-olds, and the number of under-19s enrolling on apprenticeships has almost halved in a decade. The government is expected to receive Milburn's full report after the October budget, as ministers explore additional welfare changes to address the youth jobs crisis.

How it is being reported

• Create new pre-apprenticeship scheme to close youth unemployment gap, says MilburnExclusive: Former minister’s review warns that dramatic action is needed over huge drop in youth apprenticeship starts A national apprenticeship readiness scheme should be introduced in England to close the gap for young people between leaving school and starting work, the government is to be told. Alan Milburn, who is leading a major review into Britain’s youth jobs crisis , will call for a new “national pre-apprenticeship route” to offer young people further education, training and work experience. Continue reading...The Guardian · 10 Oct, 06:00
• Neets crisis report to demand national scheme to prepare youngsters for apprenticeshipsEXCLUSIVE: Alan Milburn will urge ministers to create a new 'pre-apprenticeship route' in order to fill the gap between leaving school and entering the world of workThe Mirror · 9 Oct, 22:43

In this story: Alan Milburn · Andy Burnham · England

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem