Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has raised fears that apprentices from the most deprived backgrounds are being denied thousands of pounds of financial support available for college and university students.
Last week, TES reported concerns voiced by the NUS students’ union that apprentices from deprived backgrounds were being treated like “second-class citizens” because they and their families were ineligible for financial support such as Care to Learn childcare grants, Child Tax Credits, travel discounts, council tax exemptions and student bank account packages.
“We all support the concept of apprenticeships,” Mr McDonnell told TES. “I meet with employers, I meet with providers; everyone’s into the concept of apprenticeships. But they’ve got to be, first of all, quality apprenticeships, and people have got to supported and sustained while doing apprenticeships”
The Labour MP added: “If you’re denying them access to basic resources of benefits, it’s obviously putting them under an awful lot of pressure and difficulty in sustaining that course. We support the training levy, but the design of it, the design of apprenticeships and the mechanism, how it integrates with so-called welfare rights, is absolutely key.”
‘Quality is key’
Speaking to TES at the University and College Union’s Cradle to Grade conference on Saturday, Mr McDonnell also said employers were concerned about the quality of apprenticeships being created in pursuit of the government’s 3 million target.
“There are worries that the government is going for numbers, not quality,” he added. “I think you can go for both. And that means making sure it’s properly designed.
“Also, I’ve met a number of firms who are concerned about their existing training schemes, which are being squeezed out as a result of this…For some companies where they’ve designed bespoke training schemes, they feel that hasn’t been fully taken into account, that hasn’t been looked at.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Apprenticeships are real jobs with training, giving people who do them the chance to earn as they learn, unlike other qualifications. Apprenticeships help to boost our economic productivity, increase the country’s skills base and give millions a step on the ladder of opportunity. They work for people of all ages and backgrounds and can transform lives.”
@stephenexley
