Boost for apprentices in Yorkshire and the Humber

Citation

(2005), "Boost for apprentices in Yorkshire and the Humber", Education + Training, Vol. 47 No. 4/5. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2005.00447dab.004

Boost for apprentices in Yorkshire and the Humber

Apprentices in northern England have received a boost thanks to a booklet published by the TUC and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The booklet Apprenticeships: A Guide for Union Reps and Negotiators will arm both unions and employers with the information and guidance needed to increase the number of apprenticeship places in the UK. It is part of the TUC national campaign to raise the profile of apprentices and today launch represents a concerted regional drive to encourage unions and employers to offer more for apprentices.

The booklet will also play a crucial role in debunking certain myths around apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are now at their highest ever level of just over 240,000, with 23,000 in the Yorkshire and Humber region alone. Apprenticeships are now available in over 160 sectors and unions are in a strong position to influence the apprenticeship programme at every stage, says the new booklet.

The TUC believes that union learning representatives are doing a great job promoting learning at work and encouraging employers to take on apprentices. The new booklet highlights how union representatives can help ensure high quality apprenticeship programmes are run and includes suggestions on what unions can include in learning agreements to help apprentices get the best possible deal.

Commenting on the new booklet, TUC Deputy General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: “Unions have a fine tradition of leading the way in learning at work and increasing opportunities for workers. The new apprenticeship programmes represent a fantastic opportunity for union reps to negotiate improvements in employers approaches to learning in the workplace. This booklet will equip them with all the necessary tools to start those negotiations”. Ivan Lewis MP, Minister for Skills and Vocational Education, said: “ The new booklet demonstrates how unions, from representatives on the ground to national officers, can increase business involvement in apprenticeships. This builds on the highly successful Union Learning Fund and the invaluable work of the network of Union Learning Representatives, now with over 8,000 trained”.