All articles tagged with #apprenticeships
The U.S. Department of Labor announced $98 million in funding through the YouthBuild Program to support pre-apprenticeships in high-demand industries like construction, manufacturing, IT, and healthcare, aiming to provide young people with skills training and employment opportunities, with a focus on increasing apprenticeship participation and incorporating AI literacy.
The UK government plans to focus apprenticeship funding on under-21s by cutting support for postgraduate level apprenticeships, aiming to create more opportunities for young people and those retraining, but critics argue it could harm professional training and public services like the NHS.
Labour has announced plans to allow businesses more flexibility in using government funds for apprenticeships, permitting up to 50% of the money to be spent on training existing staff in high-level technical skills. The proposal aims to address skills shortages and create more training opportunities, but has been criticized by the Conservative Party and others for potentially reducing the number of apprenticeships. Labour insists the plan will foster lifelong learning and support business needs without increasing the apprenticeship levy.
The United States is facing a significant labor shortage across various industries, including healthcare, education, and construction. To address this issue, on-the-job training programs, such as apprenticeships, are being increasingly recognized as a solution. These programs allow individuals to gain practical skills and enter the workforce without traditional requirements like college degrees. The establishment of apprenticeship intermediaries and funding from the government are being advocated to support the expansion of these training programs. As the U.S. economy grapples with skill shortages, on-the-job training programs could play a crucial role in filling the gap and developing a more highly skilled workforce.
Technical companies are struggling to find young skilled trade workers to fill open roles as older workers retire and there is a lack of young people training for these jobs. The number of applicants for technical worker jobs has decreased by half from 2020 to 2022. Experts suggest more needs to be done to recruit and properly train younger workers to address the worker shortage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1.7 million infrastructure workers will retire or leave their job every year until 2031.