The All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships

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. She is passionate about championing this agenda and supporting quality apprenticeships.