David urges more support for small businesses offering apprenticeships
Bradford East MP, David Ward, has called on the government to reduce the barriers to small businesses taking on apprentices in a Parliamentary Debate.
The Government have provided a £180 million package to create 50,000 additional apprenticeship places in the UK however take up has been lower in businesses with less than ten employees due to the burden of administration and the cost of training.
Commenting, David Ward said:
"I welcome the Government's drive to increase apprenticeship places but in Bradford demand is still outstripping supply. Many small businesses are telling me that they would like to take on apprentices but they just cannot afford it or that it involves too much paper work.
"When we have wards in Bradford where as many as one in eight young people are not in education training or skills, we cannot afford to let this opportunity pass us by. The Government needs to do everything it can to ensure that apprenticeship programmes are even easier for small businesses to engage with. This should include helping small businesses access group training opportunities and cutting back on the burden of apprenticeship regulations.
"The Government already picks up most of the training costs for apprentices but I think there is also a case for considering a wage subsidy for the smallest businesses. Particularly when we are coming out of a recession and many small businesses are worried that it's too risky to take on more staff."
