MPS want to know: Who should provide information about apprenticeships?

What information do people need?

Where should the information come from?



The Education Committee in the House of Commons has launched an inquiry looking at the effectiveness and range of apprenticeships and they want to hear your views.

Replies to this thread will be considered before the Committee takes evidence from the Minister responsible for apprenticeships, Nick Boles MP, in the new year.

My view is that the government should endorse an official website listing apprenticeship opportunities. However there is no need for the government to provide the website. It could be offered by any of the job site providers, charging employers a modest listing fee. Access to financial incentives to take apprentices could be conditional on listing on the website.

I am afraid that I have no truck with "what about those without internet access". I do not think the government should, except in the case of the very elderly, be organising public services around those who do not wish to use, or wish to prioritise the cost of using the internet.


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Who should tell young people that the website is out there?

Such a website should ideally be the first hit from a Google search.

That's great if you know about apprenticeships and google them, but if you are a 14/15 year old you might not necessarily know they exist until someone tells you.

Really? I'm fairly certain that I knew about apprenticeships even during primary school, if not the very early years of secondary school.

I think schools need to promote them more. I know many schools have sessions on applying to uni and how to make a UCAS account etc, whereas a fraction of the time is spent on alternatives. When one of my friends was looking, they felt very much left on their own.

The central site with vacancies, as suggested above, is a great idea. Even if it just lists companies and then you "click through" to the company site, it would be a great help.

Hi, thanks for your contribution. I'm sure many people would find an online portal with apprenticeship opprtunities to be very useful, though there are already a few sites that already do this. Perhaps the real issue is better promotion of these sites?

There should be ONE apprenticeship site - ideally a .gov site, with in depth information about what an apprenticeship involves, why they should be considered, real life case studies, links to big companies such as national grid, etc.

Also include a searchable section with postcode proximity.

Hi there,

Great point Unruly86!

Have you had a look at www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk

Our website has regional school leaver opportunities as well as a host of reviews from those who have embarked on schemes of this nature. These include apprenticeships, gap year programmes etc.


So you can see the ins and outs of working at a certain company, bank and firm as well as info you may not always find out online.

Have a look by clicking here

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Amit

There should be ONE apprenticeship site - ideally a .gov site, with in depth information about what an apprenticeship involves, why they should be considered, real life case studies, links to big companies such as national grid, etc.

Also include a searchable section with postcode proximity.

Hi Unruly1986, Were you aware of this website?
http://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/