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North/South divide on apprenticeships

People looking to work as apprentices are more likely to find a place in the North of England than the South, according to new research. A report from the TUC reveals that the North East and the North West have almost four times as many apprenticeships per worker each year as London.

The report also showed that while the number of people starting apprenticeships across the UK increased by 4.4 per cent in 2007, this growth varies greatly across regions. Apprenticeships in the North West have grown by 12%, while they have fallen by 9% in the North East.

The TUC says that the growth of apprenticeships in the North West must at least be matched across all UK regions. The TUC is calling on employers in particular to play their part.

Apprenticeships are also strongly segmented by gender, with many women missing out on high quality, better-paid apprenticeships, and people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds are under-represented across the board.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said: “After decades of decline, apprenticeships are enjoying a welcome comeback, but this growth is patchy and some regions are still lagging behind. It is time for employers to take up the challenge and offer more apprenticeship places - right across the country.

“Apprenticeships have always been popular in the North but the types of apprenticeships now on offer, such as business administration and hospitality, mean that they are becoming more popular in the South too.

“The growth of apprenticeships across the South East prove that the North-South divide can be bridged. London must now use the huge upcoming infrastructure projects, the Olympics, crossrail and Heathrow expansion, to raise its game and offer more apprenticeships.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .