Published July 2013
An improved and expanded apprenticeship programme is at the heart of Labour’s vision for a better further education and skills system, and the public sector has a lead role to play. At the 2012 Labour conference Ed Miliband made a call to arms for all employers, public and private, to do more to support apprenticeships. He said that local government had an important role to play in supporting apprenticeships and promised that “the next Labour government will ensure that every private sector contract will only be awarded to a large company that trains the next generation with apprenticeships”.
This discussion report echoes the sentiment expressed by Labour’s leadership, the BIS Select Committee and the LGA. The aim of the report is to highlight the contribution local government can make to promoting jobs and growth in local economies through high quality apprenticeship schemes. In particular, the report demonstrates how Labour councils in England are leading the way in delivering apprenticeship schemes, despite deep spending cuts and a weak and uncertain economic climate.