Apprenticeships: silver bullet or hard slog?

– The purpose of this paper is to review apprenticeship policy in the UK and to present examples of good practice.

– The approach takes the form of a review of three cases.

– Apprenticeships are not an easy option. An apprenticeship scheme, and indeed any training initiative, will not command support within an organisation unless it can be seen to assist the business in economic terms. Context is critical.

– The paper argues for a more realistic assessment of the role of apprenticeship at the level of government policy and in the organisation.

– The paper offers a different and more measured perspective on apprenticeships, which contrast with current uncritical hype and over-selling.