Apprenticeships: A New Era

The Government has recently announced its intention to overhaul apprenticeship design and delivery in England and comes hot on the heels of the collapse of a major training provider, Elmfield Training, following a BBC Newsnight investigation into its funding arrangements. The Future of Apprenticeships in England: Implementation Plan was published on 28 October 2013 and sets out the Government's plans to put the design and delivery of apprenticeships into the hands of employers, as envisaged by Doug Richard in his Review of Apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships will, in future, be based on standards designed by employers to meet their needs and the needs of their sector. Eight sector-based "Trailblazer" projects (including automotive, energy and utilities and financial services) led by employers and professional bodies and supported by Lord Sainsbury's Gatsby Foundation, will develop new apprenticeship standards and relevant assessment criteria. The standards will set out