Apprenticeships being offered by “household name” companies are one of the successes of the government’s apprenticeship reforms.

Angela Middleton, founder and owner of MiddletonMurray, an apprenticeship training provider and levy consultancy company, said there is much to feel positive about with the apprenticeship levy if you look at the “bigger picture”.

Big household names launching their own apprenticeships could give the programme the boost it needs, she added. “So many large companies are putting together apprenticeship programmes. This helps give apprenticeships recognition to parents and teachers who have a ‘fixed view of success,’” she added. “It’s an extremely viable route - a lot more young people want to complete an apprenticeship instead of going to university.”

‘Big four’ offering apprenticeships

Some of the most sought after graduate employers were now offering higher and degree apprenticeships for school leavers, added Ms Middleton, explaining firms were all looking to recruit the best talent. Apprenticeships were a great way to do that, she said. 

Ms Middleton added: “We need to increase productivity in the UK and to do that you have to upskill people. It’s quite clear there is a shortage of skills and there are new kind of jobs appearing on jobs boards with new sets of skills.”

Small and medium sized enterprises (SME) were ready to embrace apprenticeships, Ms Middleton said, but first they need to be told about the reforms. “Most businesses would love to get their hands on different types of talent. It’s a way to access young talent and bring it into your business.”

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow Tes FE News on Twitter, like us on Facebook and follow us on LinkedIn