Home > News > February 2005 > 04-Feb-2005

New publication aims to raise profile of apprenticeships

The TUC and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) have published a new booklet designed to provide both unions and employers with the information and guidance needed to increase the number of apprenticeship places in the UK.

‘Apprenticeships: A guide for union reps and negotiators’ is part of the TUC’s national campaign to raise the profile of apprenticeships. The booklet was launched yesterday by Ivan Lewis MP, Minister for Skills and Vocational Education, at the TUC’s regional Learning Services Regional Conference in Leeds.

Ivan Lewis told the conference that apprenticeships are now at their highest ever level of just over 240,000, with 23,000 in the Yorkshire and Humber region alone.

The booklet says there are a number of ways in which employers can benefit from the new apprenticeship schemes:

• Organisations offering apprenticeships are viewed as good places to work
• The training elements of apprenticeships are Government-funded
• Employers who take on apprentices are taking a long-term view of their business
• Intermediate level skills gaps can be filled by taking on apprentices
• Union support for apprentices can lead to increased retention

"Unions have a fine tradition of leading the way in learning at work and increasing opportunities for workers," said TUC Deputy General Secretary, Frances O’Grady. "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."

Training and development books

Discover books on a variety of training and development topics at the Training Reference Bookshop

Source suppliers

Visit the Training Reference Directory to view supplier details for a wide range of courses, products and services.

Sponsored links

Back to top