Labour has called for Ministers to get a grip on skills shortages
as data has revealed stark declines in training opportunities
across key sectors, holding back British businesses and our
economic prosperity.
As employers are battling record vacancies and shortages of
skilled workers, Labour analysis has revealed a stark decline in
training opportunities, with apprenticeship starts falling by
nearly 200,000 over the last decade, including an 85% decline in
manufacturing apprenticeships since 2016. This comes as reports
also show the government has failed to hit their target for
creating traineeships giving young people their first opportunity
to learn a trade and gain the skills they need to prosper.
Labour has called for the government to tackle this shortage of
training opportunities by introducing a wage subsidy which could
have supported employers to take on 100,000 new apprentices this
year.
This comes alongside Keir Starmer’s pledge to ensure young people
leave education ready for work and ready for life. Through
providing professional careers advisors for every school,
reintroducing work experience and embedding digital skills across
the curriculum, Labour’s plans would ensure young people are
gaining the skills they need to prosper in the modern economy.
, Labour’s Shadow Minister
for Further Education and Skills, said:
“The government’s patchwork of skills policies are failing
to secure the apprenticeships and training opportunities that
businesses and learners need.
“Labour’s plans would support young people and business to
prosper, creating 100,000 new apprenticeships for young people
this year, alongside embedding digital skills and reintroducing
work experience to ensure every young person leaves education
ready for work and ready for life.
“With employers reporting record vacancies, Ministers urgently
need to get a grip and tackle the declining opportunities that is
holding British businesses back.”
Ends
Notes to editors
- The Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs: Progress Update’ report
shows just 17,000 traineeships had been created at the end of the
2020/21 academic year compared to the 36,700 target (Plan for Jobs: Progress
Update)
- In response to parliamentary questions revealed that £65 million
in traineeships funding was returned to the Treasury in 2020-21
(Written question
answer)
|
|
2016/17
|
2017/18
|
2018/19
|
2019/20
|
2020/21
|
Change
|
% change
|
|
Apprenticeship starts
|
42,690
|
27,010
|
22,700
|
17,540
|
6,470
|
-36,220
|
-85%
|
- Labour pledges new opportunities for young people to earn and
learn with plan to create 100,000 apprenticeships (Labour Press)
- Labour would make sure every child leaves education ready for
work and ready for life (Labour Press)
