UCU response to apprenticeship announcement

Responding to the government's announcement that it will train 10,000 more apprentices per year, UCU general secretary Jo Grady today said:

'UCU has long called on the government to end the resit nightmare and stop forcing students to retake maths and English, so this is a step in the right direction. Labour must now allow all students to move on to further study without continuous retakes, recognising their diverse range of talents and allowing them to thrive.

'For the government to achieve its target of training more apprentices into skilled jobs, further education colleges must be properly funded. Unfortunately, colleges face a recruitment crisis because salaries are too low. The funding must now be provided to raise college wages and ensure the government can train the highly skilled workforce the country needs and get Britain growing again.'