Background and History of Apprenticeships in the United Kingdom
– Apprenticeships are a system for training new practitioners in a trade or profession, involving on-the-job training and sometimes classroom study.
– Apprenticeships have a long tradition in the United Kingdom, dating back to the 12th century.
– Guilds in towns and cities regulated apprenticeships, setting terms of service and limiting the number of apprentices.
– The Statute of Artificers and Apprentices was passed in 1563 to regulate apprenticeships.
– The decline of manufacturing industries in the 1980s led to a decline in the apprenticeship system.
Traditional apprenticeship framework
– Purpose: Provide structured learning and transferable skills.
– Link industry with technical colleges and professional institutions.
– Preparation for craft trade, technician, or technician engineer roles.
– Path to becoming a fully qualified Chartered Engineer.
– Apprentices could progress to higher qualifications and combine vocational training with university or Polytechnic education.
Decline and revitalization of apprenticeships
– Decline of traditional apprenticeships in the 1980s, except in high technology engineering areas.
– Introduction of Modern Apprenticeships in 1994 and the establishment of the National Apprenticeship Service in 2009.
– Apprenticeship frameworks now include knowledge-based and competence-based elements.
Structure of apprenticeships in the 2000s
– Three levels of apprenticeship: Intermediate (Level 2), Advanced (Level 3), Higher (Level 4/5).
– Introduction of Degree Apprenticeships (Level 5/6 and Level 7).
– Development of new apprenticeships by employer groups (trailblazers).
Apprenticeship Levy and Public Sector involvement
– Implementation of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017 to fund apprenticeships.
– Statutory target for UK public bodies to employ apprentices and requirement for central government departments to support skills development through procurement.
– Importance of apprenticeships in public sector recruitment and career development. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeships_in_the_United_Kingdom
Apprenticeships have a long tradition in the United Kingdom, dating back to around the 12th century. They flourished in the 14th century and were expanded during the industrial revolution. In modern times, apprenticeships were formalised in 1964 by act of parliament and they continue to be in widespread use to this day.
