The director of learning for telecommunications giant BT has called for an end to the snobbery in schools supporting the view that apprenticeships are for less able people. Peter Butler said: “We must address the perception that apprenticeships are for those who are not bright. In schools across the country, people are being turned off vocational routes and pushed into academic routes.” Speaking last week at an event run by Edexcel to examine the coalition Government’s skills strategy, he said many senior BT staff started in the organisation as apprentices.