Employers back skills initiatives |
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| Management | |
| Written by Catherine Murray | |
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Employers support apprenticeship and diploma initiatives but government must promote them. Employers are supportive of apprenticeship and diploma initiatives but government needs to do more to promote them, suggests a new CIPD Skills Survey. Employers are backing government efforts to increase the number of apprentices, and support in principle the new diplomas, but key reforms aimed at simplifying the apprenticeship system are yet to be fully grasped or utilised by employers. These are the findings of the new Skills Survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), launched to coincide with Apprenticeship Week. Over three-quarters of respondents (78 per cent) to the survey of over 800 employers agree that the government is right to introduce new targets. A similar number also agree that there are clear business benefits in employing apprentices (76 per cent). However, employer responses to the survey show the jury is still out on whether efforts to cut bureaucracy and simplify funding are being ironed out by the apprenticeship reform programme, driven by the creation of a National Apprenticeship Service (NAS). Employer awareness of these initiatives is low – only 7 per cent have a working knowledge of the NAS, with the same proportion indicating an understanding of the matching service, which is crucial to linking young people with suitable employers. Dr John McGurk, Learning, Training and Development Adviser, at the CIPD says, “Our Skills Survey finds real warmth from employers towards apprenticeships, with a clear willingness to back government efforts to double the number of places. But it’s clear from the findings that the government needs to do more to promote key reforms aimed at simplifying the apprenticeship system." The survey suggests poor awareness of important initiatives like the matching service, the new NAS, and the qualifications and credit frameworks that link apprenticeships with diplomas, he says. “Apprenticeships are rapidly re-establishing themselves as part of the skills solution but employers will only continue to engage with these valued training opportunities if they can see the business benefits," says McGurk. "Apprenticeships can deliver real value for employers but even more needs to be done to drive home this positive message, helping to recruit more employers," he comments. The Skills Survey also reports valuable feedback on the government’s other big hope for workplace-friendly education: the 14-19 education diplomas. As with apprenticeships, employer engagement is building with over two thirds (71 per cent) agreeing that diplomas represent a useful new route into employment for young people. Yet, employers are sceptical that diplomas will be valued on the same level as traditional academic qualifications: less than a half (44 per cent) think that diplomas will make young people better prepared for the world of work than current academic qualifications. Employers, however, are willing to back the initiative, with nearly three-quarters prepared to take young people on for work experience as part of their diploma (73 per cent), a crucial element of the diploma route. Dr McGurk concludes, "Diplomas are in their infancy, so the employer support that is indicated in our survey is vital. This support will only continue, however, if it can be demonstrated that diplomas are consistently embedding useful skills in school leavers, helping society and enriching the UK economy." Comments (0)
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