A RACE TO THE TOP
DAVID WAY
22 JULY 2016
A Race to the Top
• Collection of 39 articles on the current state of
Apprenticeships and what must be done to
achieve three million more Apprenticeships
• Analysis and case studies written by people who
know about Apprenticeships and care about
future success
• Business leaders, skills leaders and expert
analysts and practitioners
• Five key themes, including quality and
simplification
Why?
• Apprenticeships remain a passion and there is so
much more to do
• Extensive network of contacts who had
experiences or analysis really worth hearing
• Need to look at Apprenticeships in the round and
at transformational change
• Keep the profile of vocational learning high and
maintain momentum
• Establish better measures of success than solely
three million more Apprenticeships
A flavour of the key messages
• Widespread support for the current ambition
for Apprenticeships and for direction of travel,
especially employer leadership
• Expectations of new institutions high
• Political consensus provides opportunity for
some structural and delivery stability –
Apprenticeship system is too complex
• Need clear qualitative ambitions to sit
alongside quantitative ones
Key messages (continued)
• SMEs need more help than a little extra money
• Important initiatives need finishing, most notably
Higher Apprenticeships if we are to convince
young people and their parents; and tackle higher
technical skills
• Some long-standing issues need serious work to
resolve, notably CIAG
• Potential of the levy needs to be properly realised
and not be a wasted opportunity
• Teaching of Apprenticeships is really important
and needs proper focus and value
Next Steps
• Policy seminars to highlight issues and contribute
to solutions
• Book publication – including a fuller range of
measures by which success of Apprenticeships
can be truly measured
• Follow up to assess progress against this balanced
scorecard for Apprenticeships
• Any further help that contributors can make as
supporters of Apprenticeship policy and practice