Report

A world of difference

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust focuses on what England can learn from apprenticeships systems worldwide to deliver more effectively for young people.

In England, more than three quarters of a million 16- to 24-year-olds are not in education, training or work (NEET), with poorer young people most at risk of this outcome. Meanwhile, the country is facing chronic skills shortages. Bridging this gap between supply and demand is a key task for the English skills system, including apprenticeships, and vital to ensure the system can help to drive economic growth.

But there are major issues in England’s current system. Far too many apprenticeships are poor quality, with limited training expectations. And rather than supporting social mobility, the poorest young people are under-represented in apprenticeships, especially at higher levels.

This report, authored by Simon Field, compares the apprenticeships system in England with those in a range of other countries, from often cited examples like Germany and Switzerland, to a wider number of systems in economies more similar to our own, including recent changes in Ireland. It explores how, internationally, apprenticeships transition young people from school into skilled jobs. In particular, it focuses on what England can learn from apprenticeships system worldwide, to deliver more effectively for young people, particularly those from lower income backgrounds.