TUC: Half-baked schemes could harm apprenticeships

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has warned that “half-baked schemes” could ruin the reputation of apprenticeships and that companies offering poor quality courses may be harming their own brand.

Speaking at the TUC Advocating for Apprenticeships conference in central London, general secretary Brendan Barber is expected to say the apprenticeships have come a long way over the past ten years.

He added that with a quarter of a million apprenticeship places each year, the UK may hit 400,000 positions by 2020.

However, he warned: “The apprenticeship brand has become so strong and universally recognised that there is a danger that unscrupulous employers could piggy-back on the success of genuine schemes by providing half-baked, poorly-funded, second-rate apprenticeships of their own.”

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With this in mind, Mr Barber urged the importance of ensuring that apprenticeships do not become a victim of their own success.

Meanwhile, recent research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has demonstrated how organisations can develop a brand that links effectively with worker rewards.

Posted by Hayley Edwards