SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building services engineering, has welcomed The Richard Review as a useful reminder of what makes a real apprenticeship.
Published on 27 November, the independent report on the future of apprenticeships by entrepreneur and educator, Doug Richard, aimed to answer the question posed by the Government: 'What should an apprenticeship be in the future, and how can apprenticeships meet the needs of the changing economy?'

Responding to Mr Richard's recommendations, Keith Marshall OBE, chief executive of SummitSkills, said: 'We have long argued for a tightening up of the definition of 'apprenticeship' to describe a person learning a new job and not just an existing worker upgrading their skills. We are pleased to see that the review appears to have responded to this and other points we made in our submission.

'We look forward to seeing the Government's Skills Strategy for the whole of the UK, due to be issued in February 2013, and to working with the Government to identify the best ways to ensure that both apprenticeships and traineeships deliver the best possible outcomes for employees and for their employers.'

Keith Marshall went on the say that although it is good to reappraise the subject of apprenticeships, SummitSkills believes is important that lessons are learned from existing good practice and that there is no point in making change for change's sake.

He added: 'Doug Richard is right to highlight that apprenticeships should focus on the needs of both the employer and learner, and should not be driven by training providers. This requires engagement with employers and in a sector dominated by small and micro businesses, SummitSkills is well placed to support that approach.'