Apprenticeships rise, NEETs hit record high

The number of people starting apprenticeships has continued to rise, with particularly strong growth in advanced and higher level qualifications, official figures have confirmed.

Between August 2011 and April this year, 383,200 people started an apprenticeship, while 1,374,000 participated in Skills for Life courses to boost their basic skills.

Skills minister John Hayes said: “The government has put apprenticeships at the heart of our skills policy because they equip people with the skills they need for a prosperous future and provide businesses with the expertise they need to grow."

However, in other figures released on the same day, it was revealed that the proportion of 16-18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) rose last year, from 7.5% in 2010 to 8.1% in 2011. Overall, 154,710 young people are in this position. The increase comes despite the government’s stated intention for all under-18s to be participating in either education or training by 2015.

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2012/06/figures-show-continued-rise-in-apprenticeships.htm