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| Minister sees 'out-dated attitudes' towards apprentices | Minister sees 'out-dated attitudes' towards apprentices |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The skills minister says parents and teachers often have "outdated attitudes" towards apprenticeships. | The skills minister says parents and teachers often have "outdated attitudes" towards apprenticeships. |
| Nick Boles said apprenticeships should be regarded as a clear alternative to a full-time university place. | Nick Boles said apprenticeships should be regarded as a clear alternative to a full-time university place. |
| Marking national apprentice week, he said he wanted to promote the idea that apprentices could "go as far as they want to go". | Marking national apprentice week, he said he wanted to promote the idea that apprentices could "go as far as they want to go". |
| Labour has also been highlighting the issue, saying it would introduce a "gold standard" for apprenticeships. | Labour has also been highlighting the issue, saying it would introduce a "gold standard" for apprenticeships. |
| Mr Boles believes apprenticeships have an image problem with older generations - teachers and parents - because they were brought up at a time when university was the clear choice for able pupils. | Mr Boles believes apprenticeships have an image problem with older generations - teachers and parents - because they were brought up at a time when university was the clear choice for able pupils. |
| 'Attitude problem' | 'Attitude problem' |
| But he said young people were increasingly seeing them as a viable career path, partly as an "unintended consequence" of university tuition fees. | But he said young people were increasingly seeing them as a viable career path, partly as an "unintended consequence" of university tuition fees. |
| "People are making quite hard-headed pragmatic judgements," he said. | "People are making quite hard-headed pragmatic judgements," he said. |
| "I certainly think that when I was growing up, even though many fewer people went to university, there was this sense that if you could go to university, then of course you would - it was automatic, the government basically paid for it and it was the thing you would do if you could. | "I certainly think that when I was growing up, even though many fewer people went to university, there was this sense that if you could go to university, then of course you would - it was automatic, the government basically paid for it and it was the thing you would do if you could. |
| "I think now it's changed for the next generation, but there is a lag, and where the attitude problem remains is with parents, and with teachers." | "I think now it's changed for the next generation, but there is a lag, and where the attitude problem remains is with parents, and with teachers." |
| He said there was still a perception that apprenticeships were for "mechanics and brickies". | He said there was still a perception that apprenticeships were for "mechanics and brickies". |
| And while he was quick to stress these were important, he said they were by no means the whole picture. | And while he was quick to stress these were important, he said they were by no means the whole picture. |
| "You can now become an apprentice lawyer, an apprentice accountant, or an apprentice journalist, and I think that perception is taking some time to change," he said. | "You can now become an apprentice lawyer, an apprentice accountant, or an apprentice journalist, and I think that perception is taking some time to change," he said. |
| Mr Boles acknowledged the UK lagged behind other countries - notably Germany - where apprenticeships are regarded far more positively as routes into trades and technical professions. | Mr Boles acknowledged the UK lagged behind other countries - notably Germany - where apprenticeships are regarded far more positively as routes into trades and technical professions. |
| He said we could learn much from Germany, but it would not fit "our economic model" in its entirety. | He said we could learn much from Germany, but it would not fit "our economic model" in its entirety. |
| "I would like to get to a place where there's a choice between two routes, both of which could take you as far as you want to go - one of which is a full-time university degree, the other is an apprenticeship," he said. | "I would like to get to a place where there's a choice between two routes, both of which could take you as far as you want to go - one of which is a full-time university degree, the other is an apprenticeship," he said. |
| Poster boy | Poster boy |
| The minister was speaking during a visit to Holition, a London-based creative technology company, which specialises in supplying retailers. | The minister was speaking during a visit to Holition, a London-based creative technology company, which specialises in supplying retailers. |
| He was shown a "virtual mirror" the company has developed that allows shoppers to see what they would look like in selected clothes without having to change into them, or how make-up might look without having to actually put any on. | He was shown a "virtual mirror" the company has developed that allows shoppers to see what they would look like in selected clothes without having to change into them, or how make-up might look without having to actually put any on. |
| To my uneducated eye, it appeared to work by magic. | To my uneducated eye, it appeared to work by magic. |
| Thomas Monkman, who is 20 years old, could be described as a poster boy of the government's apprenticeship campaign. | Thomas Monkman, who is 20 years old, could be described as a poster boy of the government's apprenticeship campaign. |
| He joined the company as an 18-year-old, and three weeks into his 13-month apprenticeship was handling an important project for Hugo Boss. | He joined the company as an 18-year-old, and three weeks into his 13-month apprenticeship was handling an important project for Hugo Boss. |
| "I wanted to get straight into programming and this apprenticeship was a great way to do that. | "I wanted to get straight into programming and this apprenticeship was a great way to do that. |
| "I wanted to see how programming is actually used in the real world, rather than in theory," he told me. | "I wanted to see how programming is actually used in the real world, rather than in theory," he told me. |
| "Everyone is just told to go down the university route, apprenticeships are not even seen as a viable alternative. | "Everyone is just told to go down the university route, apprenticeships are not even seen as a viable alternative. |
| "But it was a fairly easy choice for me - I wanted learn practically, rather than academically. | "But it was a fairly easy choice for me - I wanted learn practically, rather than academically. |
| "Of course there should be a balance - university is the best option for some people. | "Of course there should be a balance - university is the best option for some people. |
| "But I think apprenticeships should be more widely known about and used." | "But I think apprenticeships should be more widely known about and used." |
| His boss, Jonathan Chippindale, describes himself as "a huge advocate" of apprenticeships. | His boss, Jonathan Chippindale, describes himself as "a huge advocate" of apprenticeships. |
| "We can find talented people, but they can't necessarily do what we need them to do - apprenticeships give us the chance to mould people into what we need," he said. | "We can find talented people, but they can't necessarily do what we need them to do - apprenticeships give us the chance to mould people into what we need," he said. |
| "We had quite high minded - almost philanthropic - reasons why we wanted to take on an apprentice. | "We had quite high minded - almost philanthropic - reasons why we wanted to take on an apprentice. |
| "But we very quickly realised it was a sound investment. | "But we very quickly realised it was a sound investment. |
| "We ended up with someone specifically trained to fit into our business." | "We ended up with someone specifically trained to fit into our business." |
| But Mr Chippindale also recognises that the apprentices also need to benefit. | But Mr Chippindale also recognises that the apprentices also need to benefit. |
| "We had to prove to him that we were a better career choice for him than going to university." | "We had to prove to him that we were a better career choice for him than going to university." |
| "Thomas joined at a busy time, and we threw him in at the deep end. | "Thomas joined at a busy time, and we threw him in at the deep end. |
| "Three weeks into his apprenticeship he was doing a project for Hugo Boss by himself." | "Three weeks into his apprenticeship he was doing a project for Hugo Boss by himself." |
| Labour have also been marking national apprentice week, with the shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna outlining his party's plans. | Labour have also been marking national apprentice week, with the shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna outlining his party's plans. |
| He said he wanted to see more "high-quality apprenticeships, and routes on to technical degrees". | He said he wanted to see more "high-quality apprenticeships, and routes on to technical degrees". |
| He said he wanted to see the same number of school leavers going into apprenticeships as go to university by 2025. | He said he wanted to see the same number of school leavers going into apprenticeships as go to university by 2025. |
| But he said in order to "ensure genuine parity of esteem between academic and vocational pathways", quality should not be sacrificed for quantity, and that expansion should be "based on a relentless commitment to excellence". | But he said in order to "ensure genuine parity of esteem between academic and vocational pathways", quality should not be sacrificed for quantity, and that expansion should be "based on a relentless commitment to excellence". |