This week (1st to 5th February 2010) is National Apprenticeship Week.The week, which is organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), aims to celebrate the talents and skills of apprentices and recognise their employers.
The Government aims to increase the number of apprenticeships available in the future, seeing it as a crucial way of reducing the proportion of 16- to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEETs). The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has said: “we will continue to expand apprenticeships with the ambitious goal that within the next 10 years, one in five young people should be able to take up an apprenticeship. And we are committed to providing an apprenticeship place for every suitably qualified 16-18 year old from 2013 and increasing the number of advanced apprenticeships so that those in vocational learning have clear routes to progress in their careers.”
An apprenticeship can be a positive experience for both the apprentice and the employer. Many employers recognise that a failure to train young people starting out in their careers will lead to skills gaps and recruitment problems later on. However, it is important for employers new to apprenticeships to understand that taking on an apprentice is not like employing any other employee; an employer has specific obligations and duties towards an apprentice which are different from those held towards other employees.
In particular, an apprenticeship is usually for a fixed term which cannot easily be terminated early. Interestingly, the Court of Appeal has confirmed that ‘modern apprenticeships’, which involve the employer, the apprentice and a third-party training provider, can still be a common law contract of apprenticeship. Premature termination of a contract of apprenticeship may result in compensation for loss of wages, loss of training and loss of status. Damages for breach of a contract of apprenticeship are therefore potentially much greater than damages for breach of a contract of employment. For example, in 2006 an apprentice was reportedly awarded £24,000 for breach of contract/unfair dismissal after he was sacked before the end of his apprenticeship contract.
Does your business employ apprentices?
If so, have you found this to be a positive or negative experience?
Do you have any tips for other businesses thinking about taking on their first apprentice?
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