Apprenticeship Levy: Creative Industries

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Excerpts

Monday 23rd July 2018 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

The apprenticeship at the higher level can be defined at quite a senior level. I say again that it is up to employers to engage with the Institute for Apprenticeships to define and describe the standards that they think are right. Some of them are quite senior and would include management levels.

[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)]

My Lords, with hindsight, does my noble friend think that setting a target of 3 million new apprenticeships might have been a mistake that encourages quantity over quality? Would it be better to have a target for those who have completed apprenticeships rather than started them, given that 40% do not complete them?

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

We have always said that quality comes before quantity. It is good to have a target of 3 million quality apprenticeships that will change the lives of apprentices and the prospects for businesses.