Survey uncovers impact of pandemic on apprenticeships

The latest In-Comm Training Barometer survey, launched to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week 2021, has found cuts to training budgets (51 per cent) and more than half of firms (53 per cent) dropping plans to take on young workers as they adapt to the challenges presented by the virus.

Highlights from the survey of 109 employers include nearly nine-tenths of companies retaining their existing apprentices, whilst the government’s furlough scheme has allowed 72 per cent of management teams to continue to offer training.

Skills Barometer aims to gauge training needs

In a statement, Bekki Phillips, Chief Operating Officer of In-Comm Training said: “Something that has been spoken about a lot lately is the fact that a generation of school pupils could be left high and dry due to interruption with exams and the lack of opportunities out there.

“We can’t just write them off, that’s not fair and will be hugely detrimental to industry for decades to come, compounding the existing gap we have been trying to bridge.”