In the past decade, the UK has seen a surge in apprenticeship opportunities. Over 5.5 million individuals have begun vocational journeys across various sectors. The government continues to put new processes in place to encourage people to pursue apprenticeships. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt addressed this in his autumn statement on 22 November.
Tom Moyes is the joint head of employment at Blacks Solicitors. He commented on the impact that apprenticeships can have on businesses in the legal sector.
“This announcement from the Chancellor included news of an increase of £50 million to be spent on increasing the number of apprenticeships across growth sectors in the UK. This investment demonstrates the type of commitment needed from the government to effectively boost skills and maximise the impact of apprenticeships across the UK.
He went on to explain that the investment should be used to address the current barriers to training opportunities. It should highlight that apprenticeships are an attractive and viable option for everyone.
Tom also addressed the financial developments surrounding apprenticeships.
“Further news included the announcement of a 21% increase to the National Minimum Wage for apprentices. The cumulation of these changes will hopefully drive greater interest and investment in apprenticeship schemes and successfully promote more diverse routes to higher education and achieving qualifications.”
The government is also providing more financial incentives. This includes £1000 payments to employers and training providers. This will encourage apprenticeship programmes. Small employers with less than 50 staff will also recieve full funding for training apprentices under 19.
The government has introduced over 670 apprenticeships, including degree apprenticeships. The new apprenticeships are in fields like nursing, engineering, law, and science. A new NHS doctor apprenticeship and the space systems engineering degree apprenticeship included.
Finally, Tom shed light on the benefit that apprenticeship programmes have had at Blacks; “We were early adopters of the apprenticeship scheme and have seen a high degree of success. We have recently widened the scope of the scheme to paralegal apprenticeships which offer the opportunity to receive a high level of training in a discipline, a recognised qualification, whilst experiencing considerable client contact and salary.
Tom believes that investment in apprenticeship schemes make great business sense. They attract from a range of backgrounds. This means that individuals can train and qualify even without access to traditional education routes.
Image: Blacks Solicitors
