Government’s reforms have seen number of new apprentices plummet – Angela Rayner

“This government’s reforms have seen the number of new apprentices plummet, and now an independent watchdog has concluded that they are “very unlikely” to reach their manifesto target on apprenticeships.

“While breaking their manifesto promise, the Tories have overseen apprenticeship numbers falling so fast that over £2 billion of the levy funds were not spent, as vital investment in an education system starved of funding simply remained in the Treasury.

“The next Labour government will reform the apprenticeship programme so that it works for all apprentices and employers, as part of a National Education Service for the many, not the few.”