WEST Cheshire College Principal Sara Mogel’s opinion has been sought by Government on the draft Apprenticeships Bill currently being prepared for Parliament.

Sara Mogel was invited to give evidence on the proposed Bill on behalf of the National Association of Colleges to examine how the planned programme can be developed to best meet the needs of apprentices and employers working in partnership with training providers.

High quality, relevant Apprenticeships are key to meeting future business and industry skills needs to keep the country economically competitive, while providing both apprentices and employers with the specific expertise and training they need.

The Principal’s evidence to the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee focussed on the need for flexibility to provide a broad base of both business-specific and transferable skills which will also attract smaller enterprises into the scheme as well as larger employers.

Welcoming the draft Bill’s emphasis on information, advice and guidance, she said: "One of the keys to attracting young people into apprenticeships is about raising the esteem and the value of the apprenticeships and letting them know they exist."

The aim of the new Bill is to establish a statutory basis for the Apprenticeships programme, to set out the relationship between different parts of the Apprenticeships system and ensure employers and apprentices can be confident an apprenticeship offers a high quality route to acquiring skills.

The Bill will, for the first time, place duties on the Learning and Skills Council to secure sufficient and appropriate apprenticeship places to fulfil the entitlement for each suitably qualified young person who wants one.

It also includes provision to ensure young people in schools are fully informed about high quality vocational training opportunities.