Government’s response on apprenticeship funding could ‘kill off’ apprenticeships

Dave Campbell, BWF Training Manager

The government has today released it’s response to the consultation on funding reform for apprenticeships in England, which we believe will have a detrimental effect on woodworking apprenticeships.

Nick Boles MP, Minister for Skills and Equalities confirmed today that the government wishes to push forward with reforms that will see employers – rather than training providers and colleges – controlling funding for apprenticeships in England, and asking employers to contribute £1 for every £2 government contributes to the training.

The BWF has argued, after consultation with our membership, that moving funding away from providers to employers will create an administrative burden and put off many companies from taking on apprentices. We made representations both through this consultation and directly to the government's Apprenticeship Commission at Parliament in late 2014, where Sharon Gorf, Director of BWF member company Parker Joinery and former Chair of the BWF's Woodworking Industry Training Forum (WITForum), made an passionate plea not to 'kill off' apprenticeships in the sector by implementing the government's proposals.

We are therefore disappointed that this route has been taken, and by the government’s own admission, the funding models through the PAYE tax system or an apprenticeship credit system would have problems with implementation.

We are not the only trade body in the construction sector to have this view, with the Federation of Master Builders warning of 'apprenticeship doom' and almost all federations I speak to agreing with our points.

We will continue to feed into the government’s work in this area so that whatever system is introduced, the process is as simple as possible for firms to access so that we may continue our strong tradition of apprenticeships in the woodworking sector.

We are also disappointed that employers will have to make a monetary contribution to apprenticeships, when they already give so much to provide apprentices with the skills, knowledge and training within the company.

We will work closely with government and CITB to ensure we make the process of employing an apprentice as simple and as cost effective as possible.