The Government has revealed it is paying advertising agency
M&S Saatchi £2.5 million for an advertising campaign in
an attempt to rescue the image of its failing flagship
apprenticeships policy.
The Government recently admitted that the number
of new apprenticeships started has fallen by 34 per cent in a
year and the Prime Minister’s spokesperson distanced Number
10 from the Government’s own commitment to 3 million apprentices
by April 2020.
In response to a question from Shadow Education Secretary
, the Minister for
Apprenticeships and Skills said that the Department for Education
has agreed a deal with M&C Saatchi worth £2.55 million this
year covering agency fees, an advertising campaign and
‘promotional content’.
MP, Labour’s Shadow
Education Secretary,
said:
“Austerity is not over for our colleges, but this
Government is more than happy to hand out millions of pounds of
taxpayers' money to the Tories’ favourite advertising agency
after abjectly failing to meet their own apprenticeships
targets.
"Labour will genuinely end austerity, providing
free lifelong learning in colleges and invest in workplace
training as part of a National Education Service for the
many, not the few”.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Written Question 192118
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-11-16/192118/
Apprenticeships and traineeships: July 2018
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-july-2018
Government appears to drop 3 million apprenticeships
target
https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/government-appears-to-drop-3-million-apprenticeships-target/
EEF researched suggested that to achieve the three million
target by April 2020 68,000 new
apprenticeships would have to start each month. Since the
apprenticeship levy was introduced in April last year the average
monthly start rate has been 28,000.
https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/government-appears-to-drop-3-million-apprenticeships-target/
