The government has announced new sector-specific traineeship pilots in construction and rail to start this summer.

The initiative comes as England marks the start of National Apprenticeship Week today, and the government said it would make sure young people could gain the skills and confidence they need to get a job or progress into an apprenticeship in key sectors of the economy.

The experience from these traineeship opportunities would enable more young people to fast-track their career, with many able to potentially complete their apprenticeship more quickly as a result of prior learning covered in the traineeship programme, said the Department for Education.

Plans for these pilots were outlined in the Skills for Jobs White Paper, published earlier this year. It said the government planned to “drive quality up by going further in linking traineeships to apprenticeships in growth sectors such as construction and digital”.

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Apprenticeships unlock opportunities, and we’re expanding them so more people have the chance to get life-changing training.

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It added that these sector-specific traineeships would “better align the content of traineeships to the national system of employer-led standards, giving more trainees a better experience and employers greater confidence in offering work placements and taking on trainees”.

“This builds on the positive feedback we have seen in our traineeship evaluations, where trainees expect that having sector-specific content would make them more attractive to employers, by giving them skills that they can apply to the workplace, and help them secure progression to employment opportunities.”

Apprenticeships and skills minister Gillian Keegan said: “Coronavirus has had a huge impact on lives and livelihoods. As we build back better from the pandemic, we need to make sure people are able to take advantage of the opportunities apprenticeships provide, whether it’s the benefits to the individual - the chance to earn while you learn, opening up new career paths that can transform lives - or the benefits to business giving access new talent from all backgrounds.

“This National Apprenticeship Week we should celebrate the apprentices up and down the country who have been stepping up throughout the pandemic to support the national effort. I am calling on everyone to get involved to raise awareness of all the fantastic opportunities that are out there and share their inspiring stories.”

Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) managing director Jane Hickie said: “Traineeships are already a highly successful programme with a track record of a high level of successful outcomes for many previously disadvantaged young people. The pilots are worth trying but AELP believes now, more than ever, that traineeships need to remain a flexible pre-employment programme not just a pre-apprenticeship.  Since the Plan for Jobs announcement, independent training providers, who deliver the great majority of traineeships, have been frustrated with the slow pace of the scaling-up of the programme, with young people missing out. 

“On a technical level, the government should be mindful about the potential impact on recognising prior learning and the minimum duration rules if progressing into an apprenticeship. In other words, it needs to watch out for unintended consequences.”