The state of apprenticeship in 2010: international comparisons - Australia, Austria, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland: a report for the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network

Forward by Sir Roy Gardner (Chairman, Compass Group plc; Chairman, Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network) August 2010: I am pleased to commend this report, commissioned by the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network, of which I am Chairman. The Network is a group of senior business leaders committed to the expansion and development of Apprenticeships. In an earlier report ‘The Net Benefit to Employer Investment in Apprenticeship Training’ (University of Warwick Institute for Employment Research, 2008) we set out the business case for Apprenticeships. That proved to be an effective medium for communicating the real and tangible benefits to employers. This time we wanted to draw comparisons on the planning and delivery of Apprenticeships in a number of other countries, with a particular focus on employer participation and involvement. Apprenticeships in this country are amongst the world’s best, but we cannot be complacent and we need to know what is happening in competitor countries and what lessons can be learnt I was re-assured in the recent general election that all the main political parties signalled their support for the expansion of Apprenticeships. I am grateful to Hilary Steedman for producing this report which I am sure will be of interest to employers and employer organisations, Government and policy makers, training organisations, trade unions, awarding bodies, academics in the vocational training field and others. We will continue to argue the case with employers for greater involvement in Apprenticeships - they are good for young people, companies and the economy in general.