Labour’s premier initiative aimed at combating youth unemployment through a “skills revolution” is facing serious doubts about its viability. According to an exclusive report, the government’s flagship apprenticeship scheme has enrolled merely 160 participants during its first eight months of operation.
The figures, brought to light by a report from the Fabian Society, reveal a significant gap between the program’s current trajectory and its ambitious targets. The government had set a goal of achieving 30,000 “foundation apprenticeship” starts by the conclusion of the current parliamentary term.
This substantial shortfall has prompted warnings that the administration’s broader strategy to address skills shortages and youth unemployment may be at risk of failure due to the slow uptake of the project.
160 in eight months? That suggests almost no uptake at all. Something is fundamentally wrong with the rollout.
I work in a factory and we’ve never heard of this scheme. Maybe the marketing budget was zero?
How do you even fail at hiring teenagers? Are employers ignoring the program entirely or is it just inaccessible?
This is a dismal figure. 160 starts against 30,000? The implementation must be catastrophically broken.