Planned national expenditure on 16 to 18 apprenticeships for 2010-11 will be published in the LSC's Annual Statement of Priorities in autumn 2009, and confirmed in March 2010.
The Department, with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, created the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) which has end-to-end responsibility for apprenticeships and has been fully operational since April this year. Supporting 16 to 18-year-olds is one of the NAS’s key priorities for 2009/10. The NAS works with employers across the country to develop apprenticeship opportunities, and works with Connexions and other agencies to ensure that young people have the information and support they need to access them. From the beginning of this year the on-line apprenticeship vacancy system has been operating, providing a free service for employers and providers to advertise apprenticeship vacancies, and allowing potential apprentices to register and apply for vacancies. Young people can also access apprenticeship opportunities through their local 14-19 Prospectus, a user-friendly, fully searchable directory of education and training available in their area at entry level through to NVQ level 3.
The Department fully funds the training element of apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-olds. The apprenticeships budget for 16 to 18-year-olds is £628 million for 2008-09 and £675 million for 2009-10.
In addition, earlier in the year my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced a £140 million package to provide 35,000 extra apprenticeship places in the coming year.
Apprenticeship starts increased from 65,000 in 1996/97 to 225,000 in 2007/08, up 22 per cent. on the year before. Since 1996/97 over 2 million people have started an apprenticeship.