Apprenticeship funding should go direct to employers

24th July 2013

Commenting on today's consultation announcement on apprenticeship funding, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: -The best way to fund apprenticeships is to give employers the strongest possible incentives to take on apprentices, and to train them up for the long term.

-This consultation is a major opportunity to revolutionise the way we up-skill people in this country. Instead of the public sector doling out cash to training providers, we want to see funding follow employers, who are best-placed to identify what skills are going to be most beneficial to their business. As Doug Richard's recent review for the government made clear, we need an employer-driven market for training, which in turn will increase demand for apprentices and a higher-skilled UK workforce. Apprenticeship funding should be about tax incentives, first and foremost.