The Prime Minister has said he wants to see more apprenticeships to be in the Cabinet and have unveiled plans to boost training schemes.
Sir Keir Starmer said that politics “needs to do some catching up” as they are being represented at higher levels in business.
Starmer has promised to deliver £275 million in investment which will see 50,000 more apprenticeships being created in hospitality and engineering.
Starmer said, “We need to crack this in politics, by the way, because around the Cabinet table, we did a little survey a few weeks ago, and I think pretty well everyone around the Cabinet table had been to university, but no one had been an apprentice.
“And so I think the challenge is more in politics than some of our other institutions.
“I think business actually has a good case to tell on apprenticeships going all the way to the top, I think it’s the rest of us that need to do some catching up, because those skills of being in a business, of working your way up and running the business, would be really good skills to have higher up in politics, in my view.”
He added, “University is good thing to do. I’m not going to knock it. That’s what I did, but being an apprenticeship is an equally good thing to do. That’s what my dad did.
“He was a highly skilled engineer and tool maker, and I don’t feel that we always make the case for equal respect for both groups.”
Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, Chief Executive of CIMA, said, “Today’s announcement to expand government apprenticeships does not go far enough to address the UK’s productivity crisis. While investment in training is welcome, the decision taken earlier this year to remove funding for Level 7 apprenticeships for over-22s in many sectors leaves organisations with fewer options to reskill and upskill their workforce.
“Individuals seeking to change careers or return to work now face additional barriers and reduced opportunities. Limiting support for those over 22 risks slowing social mobility and economic growth at a time when both are urgently needed.”
