WIREDGOV

We know that the economy is turning a corner; GDP figures last week showed the third consecutive quarter of growth and we know we have record levels of employment. But we cannot for one moment be complacent. I’m determined we finish the job we started.

I said earlier this month that I want us to deal with the scourge of youth unemployment by giving young people more chances and choices in life. This goes to the heart of my vision for this country: backing hard working people who want to get on in life and making sure Britain competes and thrives in the global race.

So I am really excited to be here today. What we’re announcing is going to make a massive difference to thousands of young people’s lives. It involves 2 things.

One: we’re saying; if you want an apprenticeship, we’re going to make sure you do the best apprenticeship in the world. The reforms we’re announcing today will put employers in the driving seat and ensure that we deliver high quality training that supports you and our economy for years to come. And as the range of companies signed up today shows, these are apprenticeships in different industries and sectors meaning people have a real choice about the career they want and our economy is balanced.

Two: we’re saying if you need help preparing for an apprenticeship or want to get straight into the world of work, we’ll help you too. We’ve been talking to some of the biggest companies in Britain, massive global brands where young people have a real opportunity to progress up the ladder, and they have said they want to offer 100,000 vocational training schemes for young people.

Taken together, these 2 things aren’t a cure all. They’re not going to abolish youth unemployment overnight. And there’s still much more we need to do – and believe me, this government will do it. But this is a massive step forward for young people and for our country.

• put employers in the driving seat of apprenticeships; in future, apprenticeships will be based on standards designed by employers, to meet the specific needs of their industry
• radically simplify the system; the new employer-led standards will be short and easy to understand - they will describe the skills and knowledge that an individual needs to be fully competent in an occupation
• increase the quality of apprenticeships; an apprentice will need to demonstrate their competence through rigorous independent assessment and more thorough academic assessment – including stepping up the maths and English requirements; apprentices will be graded – pass, merit, distinction – putting them on a par with full time education
• require a minimum of 20% off-the-job training - time away from their workstation to focus on training

Too many young people are facing long term unemployment, believing their destiny lies in the dole queue. Prince’s Trust programmes are proven to help unemployed young people into jobs. Now, this backing from some of Britain’s biggest businesses will support thousands more disadvantaged young people into work.