50,000 new apprenticeships promised in youth employment push | EUROtoday

An growth of the federal government’s apprenticeship scheme is anticipated to profit 50,000 younger folks as a part of a push to sort out youth unemployment.

The variety of younger folks beginning apprenticeships has fallen by virtually 40% up to now decade, Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith instructed the BBC.

She stated the federal government was eradicating the 5% levy on apprentices for under-25s and providing new apprenticeships in AI, hospitality and engineering, some with the defence sector.

The variety of younger folks aged 16 to 24 who’re neither incomes or studying has been going up since 2021, with the newest figures displaying almost 1,000,000 now categorised as not in employment, schooling or coaching.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves earmarked £725m for the scheme within the Budget, over the subsequent three years, and quick programs will likely be provided from spring subsequent yr.

A pilot programme permitting mayors to attach younger folks with native employers and apprenticeship alternatives will get a £140m chunk of the funding, though it isn’t but clear how that cash will likely be used.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Baroness Smith stated the main target was on reforming the apprenticeship system.

“The real priority for us with apprenticeships is to put right what we’ve seen over the last 10 years, which is a reduction of 40% in young people starting apprenticeships – apprenticeships which can really set you on the route to a high-skilled job and the sort of earnings and the sort of jobs that young people want,” she stated.

“So we are making a determined shift of apprenticeship training back towards young people again.

“We’re totally funding apprenticeship coaching for younger folks in small and medium sized companies, in contrast to beforehand, and we’re reforming the remainder of the apprenticeship system in order that we are able to supply quick programs for adults.”

On complaints from larger companies that changes to the levy will make it less efficient, she said: “We’re open to the issues that employers have and the way we truly ship it.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously said he wants apprenticeships treated with the same respect as degree courses.

He is expected to speak on Monday about the scheme and how a “slender view” about young people going to university “has held again alternative and created limitations we have to break”.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said young people had “not had a adequate deal” in areas such as housing and employment.

He also spoke about the government’s plans to get young people off Universal Credit and into jobs, which it is spending a further £820m on.

Some 55,000 six-month placements will be rolled out from next April for those who have been on a benefit for 18 months or more.

The placements will be rolled out in six parts of the UK with high youth unemployment and will be “totally subsidised” for 25 hours a week, paid at the legal minimum wage. The money will also fund training and work support.

Employers taking part in the scheme are yet to be announced, but ministers have said new opportunities will be created in sectors including construction, health and social care and hospitality.

In total, the government plans to create 350,000 training and work experience placements.

McFadden’s Conservative counterpart Helen Whately said the scheme showed that Labour had “no plan for development, no plan to create actual jobs”.