In its annual report for 2017-18, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships has makes a number of recommendations on how to improve the system. These are its key proposals.

1. Government should ensure that the system - including the apprenticeship levy - is flexible enough to meet the changing needs of business, and allows small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access the resources they need to deliver apprenticeships
2. Government should ensure that educational providers are equipped to meet the needs of a modern economy, providing programmes which are flexible
3. Schools should ensure that all young people have adequate access to careers advice which explains the full range of options available, is delivered by someone with the relevant skills, and gives parity of esteem to apprenticeships
4. Government should appropriately resource schools to provide high-quality careers advice and incentives to give parity of esteem to apprenticeships
5. National and local government should work with employers and other organisations who work with SMEs to promote apprenticeships
6. Employers should seek to provide a clear path for career progression for apprentices to ensure that an apprenticeship is an attractive choice for a sustainable career.
7. More should be done to address the retention of underrepresented groups in apprenticeships
8. National government should work with local and devolved government to ensure that the apprenticeships system is responsive to the needs of all parts of the UK but also provides consistency for employers

For more information on the APPG’s report, visit its web page.