“As the Association of Employers and Learning Providers (AELP) have rightly pointed out, the recent dip in Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR) for apprenticeship standards is not necessarily representative of any failings of apprenticeships in this country. Firstly, it’s worth re-framing how we measure apprenticeship success in the first place. QARs don’t take into consideration employment figures, income or any of the long-term variables that often reveal the true benefits of an apprenticeship.
We also welcome the open letter from the Skills Minister, Robert Halfon, who helped to explain the external pressures which are weighing on the apprenticeship sector during this period of economic turbulence. Equally, we recognise his desire for further support, and agree with the AELP that the most substantial action to be done for apprenticeships does not lie in a restructuring of our systems, but in raising the profile of apprenticeship opportunities for our next generations.”
JTL’s Interim Director of Quality, Jo Frith Williams
