Apprentices seen as better value than graduates

A survey has indicated that employers find apprentices worth more to their businesses than university graduates.

City & Guilds, surveyed 500 employers, half of which had used on-the-job training.Of those that had hired apprentices, 52% claimed they proved better value than graduates.
The findings come a week after business secretary Vince Cable announced that the Government plans to increase the annual funding of apprenticeships to £1.4billion.

The announcement by the business secretary is part of the government's wider commitment for apprenticeships to acquire the same level of prestige as University degrees.

The number of young people leaving school to take up apprenticeships rose sharply under the previous Labour government, from 60,000 in 1997 to almost 300,000 this year.Under the schemes, the Government pays for apprentices to attend college while employers offer them paid employment.

Mark Woodhead, chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said:“Facilities management is an increasingly demanding sector, and apprenticeships are a great way for firms to benefit from the energy and enthusiasm of new workers while they acquire the skills they will need in their careers.”