The Welsh government quoted research, undertaken by Populus, among employers who had trained apprentices, which said that 77% of those employers believed that it made their firms more competitive. 88% said apprenticeships resulted in better motivation among their workforces, while 57% reported that a high proportion of apprentices moved into management positions in their businesses. Labour market information also shows that people who completed apprenticeship training at level 3 were likely to earn up to £117,000 more over their working lives than those who did not undertake such training. However, figures show that the number of apprentices in Wales has dropped 15% from 42,590 in 2007/08 to 36,380 in 2009/10. “This drop is quite significant,”
Mr. Cuthbert is due to launch a week of events, starting on the 13th February, designed to raise the profile of apprenticeships among employers. Speaking before the event, he said, “Apprenticeships represent an opportunity for employers … to turn unskilled young people into high performers who will be the backbone of their companies and the Welsh economy in the years ahead.” He was backed by Andrew Cooksley, a spokesperson on employability for the National Training Federation, who said, “Learning providers in Wales have thousands of talented young people on their books who would be major assets to employers.”
“This can only be a positive move for the Welsh economy,” said our A Vision Network spokesperson.
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