Cameron unveils plans to upgrade apprenticeship programmes

Phoenix Herald Tuesday 7th February, 2012

LONDON - Prime Minister David Cameron Tuesday unveiled plans to club apprenticeships with higher education to remove the poor class tag often attached to the vocational training programme.

"We are expanding the number of higher level apprenticeships, those that involve degree-level courses, and I think this is vital because for years people have sort of said that apprenticeships are the poor relation of higher education," Cameron said during a visit to the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) in east London, which trains apprentices to work on infrastructure projects.

The British government has decided to make an additional 6 million pounds funding available to support thousands of degree-level higher apprenticeships.

In July last year, Cameron had launched a 25 million pounds fund for promoting higher apprenticeship programme.

"By making apprenticeships a gold standard option for ambitious young people, we are sending a message that technical excellence is as highly valued as academic prowess," Cameron said.

The government is also proposing to invite bids for a 250 million pounds employer ownership pilot investment fund from businesses in England to support vocational training.

The prime minister said once apprenticeships with higher education becomes the norm, it will no longer be considered a "poor man's degree".

"What we are going to see with the expansion of the higher level apprenticeships is many people going into them as they leave school, spending time doing that and then going on and doing a university degree linked to their apprenticeship skill.

That is what has happened for years in Germany and it is going to be happening much more in Britain," Cameron stated.

Outlining a vision to involve more businesses in the programme, Cameron assured that some of the "historic weakness" of apprenticeship programmes would be addressed to reduce the cost of conducting such scheme.