Spotlight on National Apprenticeship Week
This week sees the start of the 10th National Apprenticeship Week; bringing together employers and apprentices from across England to celebrate the success of apprenticeships and to encourage more people to choose this way as a fast-track to a rewarding and successful career.
Investing in the next generation workforce and committing to apprenticeships has grown to become an integral part of UK business with 2.4 million apprenticeships started in England during the last Parliament. Figures from the Department for Education show that:
- 76 per cent of employers say productivity has improved as a result of apprentices
- 75 per cent consider that apprentices have improved the quality of their product or service
- Employers say that qualified apprentices are 15 per cent more employable than those with other qualifications.
The number of apprentices employed across the industries represented by ADS – aerospace, defence, security and space – continues to rise, with increasing numbers of companies recognising that as well as a long-term approach to safeguarding skills, employing apprentices delivers value to an organisation.
In 2009 only 15 per cent of aerospace companies employed apprentices, ADS figures show this figure has increased to more than 60 per cent today. In 46 per cent of aerospace companies, more than five per cent of the workforce is made up of apprentices or trainees with:
- 39 per cent involved in production and assembly
- 28 per cent involved in design and engineering
- 16 per cent involved in research and design.
The defence industry employs 4,300 apprentices and trainees while in security there are 2,100. Crucially, ADS research shows that a leading concern for Member companies is being able to access the right skills in order to drive up the productivity and innovation which makes UK companies internationally competitive.
Commenting about the week ahead and the importance of apprenticeships, Paul Everitt says: “ADS represents some of the UK’s most exciting and innovative industries offering high-skill, high-value jobs across the UK. Year-on-year the number of apprenticeships available across our industries grows which means greater opportunities to be part of making the UK internationally competitive.”
“To echo the theme of this week, apprenticeships represent a great opportunity to get onto the Ladder of Opportunity. They are routes into rewarding, well-paid careers and as the boardrooms of many of our Member companies show, a chance to achieve an industry-leading position.”