Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a new generation of apprenticeships which are aimed at lowering the level of unemployment amongst the UK’s youth.
It is also hoped that the new range of apprenticeships will make vocational training an appealing prospect for young people across the country who may be unsure about what they wish to do with their futures.
The apprenticeships have been developed in response to a report which was published last November by entrepreneur Doug Richard, which said that “higher quality training” was needed in order to ensure apprenticeships were given “serious kudos” with both employers and employees.
There will also be 100,000 vocational training schemes rolled out across the UK over the coming two years, which will be modelled around those already being run by the Prince’s Trust.
“We know that the economy is turning a corner; GDP figures last week showed the third consecutive quarter of growth and we know we have record levels of employment. But we cannot for one moment be complacent. I'm determined we finish the job we started,” Mr Cameron said.
"The reforms we're announcing today will put employers in the driving seat and ensure that we deliver high-quality training that supports you and our economy for years to come. And as the range of companies signed up today shows, these are apprenticeships in different industries and sectors meaning people have a real choice about the career they want and our economy is balanced," he added.
The changes to the apprentice structure in the UK are set to make a “massive difference” to thousands of young people by ensuring that they are able to access some of the “best apprenticeships in the world,” the Prime Minister went on to say.