Policy

The latest analysis of Government policy on education, skills and the creative and cultural industries.



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Government publish Traineeship Framework for 16-24 year olds

First published on Tue, May 14, 2013.

The government has published the Framework for Delivery of its new Traineeship programme, designed to prepare young people to progress into employment or an Apprenticeship. The programme will commence in August 2013 for students aged 16-19 and will be extended to young people up to 24 in due course.

Purpose and Structure of Traineeships

Traineeships are intended to meet the needs of young people who:

• are not currently in a job and have little work experience;

• are qualified below Level 3; and

• have a reasonable chance of being ready for employment or an apprenticeship within six months of engaging in a traineeship.

The core content of traineeships will be a high quality work placement, work preparation training and English and maths (to GCSE A*-C standard). Providers and employers will have the freedom to bring these elements together as they see fit to support individual trainees. 

Delivery and Funding

Traineeships should be a partnership between employers and education and training providers. Employers will have the opportunity to lead the delivery of traineeships through the Employer Ownership of Skills pilot, partnership with education providers, or even by becoming an approved provider in their own right in future years. Education and training providers that currently deliver provision for 16-19 year olds and hold a contract with the Education Funding Agency will be able to deliver traineeships, and will be funded on a per student basis.

Pay and Reimbursement

Employers are not required to pay young people for the work placement under the traineeship. Traineeships fall under an exemption to the National Minimum Wage. Young people in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance or the new Universal Credit will continue to be able to do so while taking part in a traineeship.

NESTA: A Manifesto for the Creative Economy

Wed, April 24, 2013.

NESTA have launched an ambitious new manifesto for the creative economy which sets out to identify what policymakers, educators, businesses and regulators need to do to ensure that the UK’s creative economy thrives in the coming decade. According to the manifesto, the UK’s creative industries are “continuing to experience a...

IPPR - An Avalanche is Coming: Higher Education and the Revolution Ahead

Thu, April 18, 2013.

This report from IPPR sets out the challenges ahead for higher education. It argues that the purpose and provision of higher education will undergo radical transformation as the twin pressures of new technology and globalisation recalibrate the ways in which people access education. The report asks whether or not the...

National Minimum Wage – Low Pay Commission 2013 Report

Tue, April 16, 2013.

The government has announced that the national minimum wage will rise by 12p an hour to £6.31 for adults and by 5p to £5.03 for 18-to-20-year-olds from October. The rate for apprentices will rise by 3p to £2.68 an hour. These increases are below current inflation levels. The announcement coincides...

UKCES report calls for radical shift in recruitment practice

Thu, April 11, 2013.

A recent report published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills highlights the difficulties faced by young people seeking jobs in the UK. Scaling the Youth Employment Challenge, available here, has outlined a “Catch 22 situation” faced by many jobseekers, who are shut out of the jobs market because...