Apprenticeships provide practical, business-focused training that delivers benefits to business and apprentices – by improving business productivity and giving apprentices the skills they need to achieve well paid and satisfying careers.

With the new government's welcome commitment to increasing apprenticeship places – our briefing sets out recommendations aimed at boosting employer-led apprenticeship provision, and addressing the challenges our economy faces around youth unemployment and developing the skills that will drive business competitiveness.

Our vision is for a system that encourages more employers and young people to become involved in apprenticeships. This will require steps to support SMEs and to cut back on the bureaucracy that often frustrates employers; while apprenticeships should be promoted as a positive choice for young people and a route to a successful and rewarding future.

Many employers are already investing significant sums in successful apprenticeship programmes, but it is also imperative that public funding for apprenticeships is allocated to the areas of greatest value. Funding must be re-allocated to provide greater support on intermediate level skills, particularly to develop technician level skills in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects. This will ensure the UK is well placed to build on existing areas of strength such as IT, pharmaceuticals and high value-added manufacturing as well as future growth areas in green technologies and creative industries.

Download: You're hired! More apprentices for business (PDF 320KB)

Examples of the excellent work employers are doing to provide apprenticeships can be found here (PDF 110KB)

CBI/EDI education and skills survey 2010

Reforms of skills funding proposed