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Apprentices

Volume 462: debated on Wednesday 11 July 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which 10 (a) companies and (b) trades have provided the largest number of apprenticeships. (148211)

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) does not hold data on all employers that recruit apprentices as contracts may be with a training provider which in turn has arrangements with employers. However information is available on the 10 employers who hold the largest contracts directly with the LSC for their apprenticeship funded provision—this is shown in table 1.

Table 2 shows the 10 sectors that offer the largest number of apprenticeships and the numbers of young people in learning in those sectors in June 2007.

Table 1

Employer

Total in learning (at June 2007)

Directorate of Educational and Training Services (Army)

5,759

Royal Air Force

2,347

Naval Recruiting and Training Agency

2,320

Carillion Construction Limited

1,682

TUI UK Limited

717

BAE Systems plc

633

Vodafone UK Limited

449

British Gas Services Limited

413

Land Rover

347

The Football Association Premier League Limited

338

Total

15,004

Table 2

A26 code

Sector framework

Advanced apprenticeship

Apprenticeship

Total

116

Construction

4,690

21,414

26,104

106

Engineering

15,411

8,295

23,706

217

Hairdressing

3,853

17,911

21,764

105

Electrotechnical

15,353

1,233

16,586

104

Children’s Care Learning and Development

7,778

7,863

15,651

102

Business Administration

4,687

10,112

14,799

220

Hospitality and Catering

4,007

10,360

14,367

263

Customer Service

4,225

9,997

14,222

328

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

3,110

8,005

11,115

117

Plumbing

4,746

5,076

9,822

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships were not completed in the last year for which figures were available; what the principal categories of reasons for non-completion were; what percentage of cases fell within each category; and what total financial cost was associated with non-completion of apprenticeships. (148226)

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) uses individual learner level data to calculate overall apprenticeship framework achievement rates. Over the past few years the framework achievement rates have increased dramatically from 24 per cent. in 2001-02 to 59 per cent. so far in 2006-07. Framework completion relates to achievement of elements—NVQ, technical certificate, key skills and employer rights and responsibilities. Apprentices who do not achieve all elements are not counted as full achievements but may well have completed one or more of the components including a vocational qualification. The LSG does not collect data on all the reasons for non-completion, or circumstances of partial completion, of full apprenticeship frameworks.

Estimates of the cost of non-completion, or partial completion, of apprenticeship frameworks could only be obtained by analysis of individual learner data and at disproportionate cost.