The apprenticeship system has changed beyond recognition since the 1980s when they were still restricted to a few older trades and, in fact, were widely thought to be dying out. Instead, the then Government took the decision to reinvigorate them as “Modern Apprenticeships” and their take-up has significantly expanded and their status has been vastly enhanced. Today apprenticeships cover almost every sector of the UK economy and can be found at a much wider range of levels – from Levels 2 to Level 8, which includes the newest ‘Degree level’ apprenticeships. They are available in fields as widely dispersed as retail and the nuclear industry.
Pye Tait Consulting has been involved in every single iteration of that process and, therefore, has a deep understanding not only of apprenticeships as qualifications but of the entire system from funding to implementation and even of the views of apprentices and employers about the system.
