Co-operation on
a system

Apprenticeships are of enormous benefit to the health and cohesion of modern economies. They needed to be embedded into a formalised system of learning involving companies, trade unions and government.

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Toby Peyton-Jones, Bob Bischof and Dr. Hubert Ertl

End gender segregation

“Half of training is wasted, but you never know which half. The trades unions are involved in the learning process through 6m training members and 26,000 learning champions. Learning works only if people are properly engaged. We’re pleased that the apprenticeship system of the last government is being continued by the new government. We must end gender segregation in areas like engineering and construction.”

Simon Nathan, Senior Policy Adviser, Confederation of British Industry

More employers needed

“The UK needs more highly skilled staff, especially in technical roles in sectors like low-carbon and advanced manufacturing. Graduates are part of the answer, but we must focus on developing staff with advanced vocational skills – primarily through apprenticeships. Business and government are committed to expanding high-quality apprenticeships.” Download speech

Road mapping

“Apprenticeships should be the natural route into work for people who don’t want to go into higher education. Apprenticeships are a journey and for this you need a road map. You need to have a log just like on a ship, keep a record to be proud of so that you can look back at what you did. Let’s get our act together, stop talking about things and do it instead.”

Toby Peyton-Jones, HR Director, Siemens UK and NW Cluster

New technologies

"We need to tell people where they are most likely to get a job and map out a career. Across the world there is demand for engineers. For trains, turbines, solar energy, smart grids. These are new skills for new technologies. We must map out what we need and feed these requirements into the education system – plant the seeds of imagination in parents, children and teachers."