Government relents on all pupils receiving information in schools about Apprenticeships

10 November 2009

ALP has been successful in its long campaign to see the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill amended so that all pupils in secondary schools must be informed about apprenticeships as a post-16 option.

Previously the bill, which is completing its final stages of passage through Parliament, had required schools to offer information on the option 'only if it was in the best interests of the pupil' – a clause that was described by one MP as paternalistic.

This week’s report stage of the bill in the House of Lords was realistically the last chance of securing an amendment and last week ALP chief executive Graham Hoyle wrote to the apprenticeships minister, Lord Tony Young, urging him to make the necessary change. Lord Young’s very positive and welcome letter of reply is available on the ALP website here.

The new clause in the bill states that Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) in schools 'must include information on apprenticeships.' The clause is strongly supported by the new statutory guidance issued by the DCSF to local authorities and schools at the end of October. The guidance, which ALP members are urged to read, adds that Ofsted’s obligations on checking impartiality and quality in local IAG provision have been revised and strengthened. The statutory guidance can be downloaded fromhere.

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