The government has rolled out a new scheme to expand vocational training for young people, with plans to offer 50,000 new training opportunities over the next three years in an effort to reduce youth unemployment.
Speaking during a visit to the McLaren car manufacturing plant in Woking, where he spent time with apprentices, Keir Starmer reaffirmed his commitment to expanding training opportunities across the country. His visit followed Formula 1 driver Lando Norris’s victory in the world championship. Over the past decade, the number of young people starting apprenticeships has fallen by almost 40 percent, while recent data shows that nearly one million people aged 16 to 24 are neither in work nor in education.
The broadened program will involve eliminating the five percent apprenticeship tax for those under the age of 25 and introducing new training positions in fields such as artificial intelligence, hospitality, and engineering. Sir Keir referenced his father’s experience as an apprentice tool-making engineer who pursued further studies through night school, asserting that this path was “just as challenging and intricate” as attending a university. He also reflected on his own time at university, saying that he has long felt the country fails to value academic and vocational routes equally, even though both deserve the same respect.
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While he said that university is a valuable option and one he chose for himself, he emphasized that apprenticeships offer just as much value. He pointed to his father’s experience as an apprentice, noting that he went on to become a highly skilled engineer and toolmaker.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Has Allocated £725 Million!
In the Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves committed £725 million over the next three years to expand the apprenticeship program, with short-term training courses expected to launch in the spring of next year.
Of this funding, £140 million will go toward a pilot scheme that will allow mayors to connect young people with local employers and training opportunities, although details on how that money will be distributed have not yet been clarified.