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Since 2010, the Conservative Government have created a world-class apprenticeship system from the ground up and delivered 5.7 million apprenticeships across the country.
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That is why in Apprenticeship Week we are shining a light on the positive differences apprenticeships make across the country. Sir Robert Buckland MP is using the opportunity to celebrate the 9,980 apprenticeship starts in South Swindon since 2010
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By sticking to the plan, the Conservative Government will continue to ensure young people get the skills they need to secure high-skilled jobs, create a more competitive workforce and grow the economy.
This National Apprenticeship Week, Sir Robert Buckland MP is using the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our fantastic apprentices in South Swindon and across the country, and to reflect on the Conservative Government’s achievements in creating an apprenticeship system from the ground up.
Since first becoming Member of Parliament for South Swindon in 2010, the Conservative Government has delivered 5.7 million apprenticeships across the country, with 550 new apprenticeship starts in South Swindon in 2022-23 and almost 10,000 apprenticeships since 2010.
With nearly 700 apprenticeship training courses available now, young people have a diverse range of career pathways available to ensure they learn the skills they need to succeed in a career they love.
Just this week, the Conservative Government announced they are introducing a new teaching apprenticeship that will offer a high-quality, alternative route for people to become qualified teachers.
This is on top of record levels of funding in skills and apprenticeships with investment to apprenticeships increasing to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, creating a world-leading skills system that is employer-focused, high quality, and fit for the future.
Commenting, Sir Robert Buckland MP said:
“I hear from my constituents the impact the Conservative Government’s apprenticeship scheme has had on opening up new opportunities and career pathways, as well as playing a critical role in to the local economy of South Swindon.
“During Apprenticeship Week, I want to congratulate all 9,980 of my constituents who have started an apprenticeship since I first became Member of Parliament for South Swindon back in 2010.
“With nearly 700 training courses now available, the plan under the Conservatives is working, delivering a brighter future for people across the country by ensuring they have the skills they need to secure high-skilled jobs, creating a stronger economy.”
Commenting, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, Robert Halfon MP, said:
“Apprenticeship week is an opportunity to reflect on all that apprentices across the country have achieved and the immense contribution they continue to make to our economy.
“Under the Conservatives our plan is working with over 5.7 million people starting apprenticeships since 2010 – enabling young people to climb the ladder of opportunity to good jobs and higher wages.
“This progress would be destroyed by Labour who would take us back to square one by halving apprenticeships, risking the futures of thousands of young people across the country.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Under the Conservative Government, almost 5.7 million people have started an apprenticeship since May 2010, giving people the skills they need for the workplace. Since we came into office in 2010, there have been almost 5.7 million apprenticeships starts (DfE, Press Release, 4 February 2024, link).
In the 2022-23 academic year, there were 752, 150 people participating in an apprenticeship in England, with 337,140 apprenticeship starts. In the 2022-23 academic year, there were 751,120 people participating in an apprenticeship in England, with 337,140 apprenticeship starts and 162,320 apprenticeship achievements (DfE, Headline facts and figures, accessed 7 February 2024, link).
The conservative Government are increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, ensuring businesses have a pipeline of talent to grow the economy. The Conservative Government are increasing investment to apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, ensuring businesses have a pipeline of talent to grow the economy (DfE, Press Release, 4 February 2024, link).
The Conservative Government have spent 98 per cent of the levy delivering apprenticeships in the last two years. The Government introduced the apprenticeship levy in 2017 and in the last two years, 98 per cent of the levy has been spent on average (Hansard, 17 January 2024, WPQ 10104, link).
The Conservative Government are launching a new teacher degree apprenticeship to support schools in recruiting and retaining the excellent teachers needed to teach our children. In Autumn, the Conservative Government are launching a revolutionary teaching apprenticeship that will offer a high-quality, alternative route for people to become qualified teachers (DfE, Press Release, 4 February 2024, link).
Labour will halve the number of apprenticeships, meaning young people would miss out on the key skills they need to succeed in life. Labour will allow firms to spend ‘up to 50 per cent of their levy contributions, including current underspend, on non-apprenticeship training’ – in turn, cutting the apprenticeship programme by £1.5 billion per year (Hansard, 7 November 2023, WPQ 614, link).
