Waveney MP Peter Aldous today welcomed news that as part of the Growth review the Government have announced further measures designed to slash red-tape, help SMEs recruit their first apprentices and help more young people get an apprenticeship place.

The specific measures are:

• To encourage thousands of small firms (with up to 50 employees) to take on a young apprentice for the first time (age 16-24), the Government will offer an incentive payment of up to £1,500. This will support up to 40,000 new apprentices in 2012/13. An initial payment will be paid 2 months after a young person has started an apprenticeship, the final payment will be made when the apprenticeship has been completed and the apprentice has progressed to sustainable employment.


• Reduce red tape, ensuring that employers are able to advertise a vacancy within one month of deciding to take on an apprentice and have them ready to start work within three months; and removing all excess health and safety requirements for apprenticeships;


• A new review into the standards and quality of Apprenticeships will be undertaken by a leading employer. This will report in spring 2012, the review will help ensure Government works effectively with training providers and businesses to continually raise the standards of all Apprenticeships and that training keeps pace with the changing needs of industry.


• English and maths up to the standard of a good GCSE (Level 2) for all apprentices.


• The announcement of £18.7m worth of projects from the £25m Higher Apprenticeship Fund. These projects will support the development of 19,000 new Higher Apprenticeships (level 4 and 5) – compared to just 100 in 2008/9 – in sectors including construction, advanced engineering, insurance and financial services. Around 250 employers, including Leyland Trucks, Unilever, TNT, and Burberry will benefit.


• Enable businesses to design, develop and purchase the apprenticeship and other training programmes they need through a new £250 million pilot fund. In early 2012, employers will be invited to bid for a share of the fund.

Mr Aldous said:

“I am very pleased to see the Government doing all it can to incentivise employers to take on apprenticeships and to reduce the red tape that can be time consuming and expensive. I look forward to working with local schools, Lowestoft College and businesses to do all I can to help ensure that apprenticeships are available to young people, particularly to equip them with skills in the growing energy sector.”

These announcements take forward the Government’s pre-election proposals to enable employers take control of apprenticeships and provide more high quality apprenticeships at advanced and higher levels – building a sustainable apprenticeship system at the heart of a sustainable economy.