Charlotte Ray, a student at Durham University, is working with BUSINESSiQ as part of her BA in English. This is her view of National Apprenticeship Week

 

Everybody has probably heard of apprenticeships by now. They are often presented as an alternative to going to university for young people after completing their GCSEs or A-Levels.

In 2017, the government introduced the apprenticeship levy to create more sustainable funding for apprenticeships. The idea was to make more money available for all employers to be able to choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many and when.

The levy is paid by large employers who pay 0.5% of their total annual pay bill if their pay bill is over £3 million. Any unspent levy funds are used to support existing apprentices to complete their training and to pay for apprenticeship training for smaller employers.

  • Read about the TVCA event HERE

Since it was introduced, the levy has directly supported almost 313,000 people to start their apprenticeship journey, according to the government’s website.

So why, as a young person currently at university, was this the first time I had heard of the apprenticeship levy - at a conference as part of National Apprenticeship Week in 2023?

Whilst I chose to go to university back in 2021, I believe that if apprenticeships had been presented to me as a more viable option, I would have seriously considered it.

As I understand it, not only do apprenticeships offer a way to earn a qualification directly related to the job you want to pursue as part of your career, but it means that you have no university debt as everything is paid for and you actually earn a salary.

As an area of significant development and economic opportunity, the future of the Tees Valley is looking brighter than ever. The Teesworks site will create up to 11,400 jobs alone when fully operational and apprenticeships will offer a way for young people to make the most of these job openings.

As an area of significant development and economic opportunity, the future of the Tees Valley is looking brighter than ever.


At the Teesworks Skills Academy event I was asked to report from, panellists were optimistic that the provision of apprenticeships, especially in the North East, would be improved but that issues still remained.

It was particularly evident that apprenticeships provide a key pathway which offers businesses a way to grow talent and develop a skilled workforce that is equipped with skills directly relevant to their operations.

Whilst the panellists were overwhelmingly positive about the possibilities for the wider uptake of apprenticeships, they agreed there were some areas highlighted for improvement, including a better connection between the businesses offering the apprenticeships and the young people interested in developing their career.

Whilst the apprenticeships are out there, it is evident that improvements need to be made to make them a better option for young people.

With the emerging of new technologies and the transition from fossil fuels towards carbon net-zero aims, an entirely new workforce with a different set of skills is required.