Apprenticeship funding boost

A total of 250 employers are to start offering degree-level apprenticeships for the first time as a result of the government’s latest funding initiative. Around 19,000 higher apprenticeships will be created in total.

A wide range of sectors are represented including construction, advanced engineering, insurance and financial services. Burberry, Unilever, TNT and Leyland Trucks are among the firms to have won bids and will benefit from a £25 million funding pot.

There is a particular focus on science, IT and manufacturing, with 6,000 of the apprenticeships accounted for by “trailblazer” projects in those areas. The qualifications will be delivered through partnerships with colleges and training providers.

The move follows calls for the government to take action on youth unemployment as the number of young people out of work topped one million in the latest Office for National Statistics figures, equating to 21.9% of people between 16 and 24 years old, reflecting what the Unite union called a “lost generation”.