Clause 83
3:30 pm
Jim Knight (Minister of State (Schools and Learners), Department for Children, Schools and Families; South Dorset, Labour)
I am mulling that particular question over. We specify in clause 85 that an apprenticeship place must involve arrangements for employment and training or study, highlighting the central role of employers in the apprenticeships scheme. Accepting this amendment would undermine employers’ central role.
College-led group training associations would be an appropriate vehicle. Having reflected, I have now concluded that that is an appropriate arrangement. We recognise that there is a valuable role for programme-led apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship provision but we are clear that these are not apprenticeships. We announced in “World-class Apprenticeships” that we would look to revisit the programme-led apprenticeship brand with a view to creating a new name clearly to designate the new reformed route. As such, while understanding the motivation behind this amendment, we do not believe that this is the most effective means of achieving what we all want which is more apprenticeship places. I hope the hon. Gentleman will be persuaded by those compelling arguments.