School staff need more apprenticeship information, says expert

More information about apprenticeships should be provided to school staff, it has been argued.

This is the opinion of Andy Powell, chief executive of independent education foundation Edge, which commissioned a survey into teachers' knowledge of this subject.

Conducted by YouGov, it found that 56 per cent of more than 1,000 teachers and lecturers surveyed said they had a poor understanding of apprenticeships.

This compared to just eight per cent who said they had a poor understanding of university degrees.

Mr Powell argued that this is evidence of a "deep-seated bias" towards academic qualifications within the education system.

He noted that for the government's apprenticeship programme to reach its full potential, teachers must be provided with more information.

"We strongly believe that apprentices will play an integral role in helping the UK survive and thrive in the current economic climate," added Mr Powell, in response to the news that just 24 per cent of those surveyed thought that apprenticeships could be a good alternative to A-levels or equivalent qualifications.

This view was recently echoed by Lord Tony Young, who said apprenticeships should be considered a worthy alternative to university attendance.

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