The All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers which provides a forum for parliamentarians and employers to discuss how to promote the role of high quality apprenticeships.

About the Group

The Group works to ensure that apprenticeships serve as a pathway to a career and how the apprenticeship model can meet the changing skill demands from businesses. The Group has heard from all the top apprenticeship experts, including recent Ministers or Skills, top civil servants and business groups but most importantly from apprentices themselves.

In July 2020, the Group launched its Annual Report with the following key recommendations:

Additional steps to support flexible approaches to learning and working for apprentices that have been developed through lockdown, examples could include reforming how End Point Assessments are implemented
The development of a cross-departmental apprenticeship strategy between Government and industry to respond to COVID-19
Establishment of an apprenticeship working group with employers, training providers, professional bodies and associations as well as unions to develop innovative ways to retain apprentices and ensure the continuing talent pipeline
A national policy for free travel for apprentices by 2021
Reform the Apprenticeship Levy to create greater flexibility and pause expiry of levy funds for six months to support businesses
The creation of a centre of excellence to encourage best practice amongst training providers

Group Chair

Co-Chair: Karin Smyth MP, Labour, Bristol South
www.karinsmyth.com
@karinsmyth

Since her election as MP for Bristol South in 2015, Karin Smyth has been a strong advocate of apprenticeships. She has frequently called for more SMEs to provide apprenticeships and the importance of providing better careers advice. In April 2020, Karin was appointed Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland.For four years running, Karin has worked with the Department for Work and Pensions, Bristol City Council and City of Bristol College to host an apprenticeships fair, following National Apprenticeship Week in February 2020. She is passionate about championing this agenda and supporting quality apprenticeships.

Co-Chair: Jack Lopresti MP
Conservative, Filton and Bradley Stoke
www.jacklopresti.com
@JackLopresti

Jack Lopresti was first elected as MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke in 2010. He has had a long and varied career as a local councillor and army reservist, after working in his family ice cream business for over ten years after leaving school. Jack Lopresti has served on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Armed Forces Bill Committee and Defence Committee. Jack was the Chair of the APPG on Apprenticeships in 2015 and has frequently advocated for apprentices in the House of Commons.

Information on all the group’s officers can be found here.

Call for Evidence

Supporting apprenticeships in the Ministry of Defence – assessing the quality, progression, and potential

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships has today (12 February), launched an inquiry into supporting apprenticeships in the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The MoD offers a range of exciting opportunities in developing apprenticeships for people of all ages and progressing the skills acquired into long-term career prospects.

The APPG’s call for evidence will look at what steps need to be taken to ensure that apprenticeships in the MoD continue to play a prominent role in the future. With the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force ranking in the top 10 of the country’s most outstanding apprenticeship employers for 2020, there is a drive and ambition that must be recognised and celebrated.

The APPG’s call for evidence will explore the sector in further detail and the benefits of apprenticeships in the MoD.

Jack Lopresti MP, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships said:

“I’m pleased to announce that the APPG on Apprenticeships is launching an inquiry into supporting apprenticeships in the Ministry of Defence (MoD). There are some fantastic opportunities that we are keen to understand and hope to learn more about.

“I believe that the MoD has a prominent role to play in achieving the Government’s levelling-up ambitions and supporting the UK’s economic recovery. As an APPG, we want to hear from organisations involved with the MoD, and how apprenticeships have supported career development. It is crucial we understand the quality of the apprenticeship system available, the opportunities to hand and the long-term ambitions for the future.

“We are keen to hear from leaders in the MoD, trade associations, contractors, charities, regulators, local government representatives and many more, to understand what needs to be done to ensure apprenticeships in the MoD continue to play a prominent role for the future.”

The APPG is inviting written submissions to inform this inquiry.

Submissions should be a maximum of two pages and submitted via ApprenticeshipsAPPG@connectpa.co.uk.

It should focus on but not be limited to:

Understanding of the current apprenticeship system in the MoD– how they provide their apprenticeships, the proportion of apprenticeships in operational and non-operational roles, qualifications, number of careers currently available
The quality of apprenticeships in the armed forces and the opportunities available within the MoD – including aerospace, manufacturing, logistics and operational services
The progression of apprenticeships in the armed forces and the careers they lead to, exploring transferrable skills obtained
The future of apprenticeships and long term-ambitions of the MoD
The MoD’s potential to support and create high-skills jobs in the UK through apprenticeships
Opportunities and challenges of the MoD apprenticeship system

The APPG is also requesting case studies, statistics and any best practice examples of apprenticeships in the sector.

The deadline for written submissions is Friday 17^th September at 17:00.

News & Views

Apprenticeships in a post-Brexit world

Despite years of repeated warm words and commitments, it’s clear the Government has failed to resolve the skills crisis facing UK plc, with studies suggesting as many as nine out of ten firms across the country struggle to recruit the skilled workforce they need.

Even with the highest level of unemployment and lowest level of employment of any English region, many businesses in my own part of the world – the North East – continue to report difficulties in recruiting the right staff, and regularly raise concerns about the mismatch that persists between the skills available in the labour market and the needs of local firms.

View the The All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships Updates Archive »

Group Sponsors

Group materials

Contact the Group

Connect provide the Secretariat to the Group on behalf of the Group sponsors. For further information please contact Anne Mirkovic on 0207 592 9592 or ApprenticeshipsAPPG@connectpa.co.uk

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