The Industry Apprentice Council (IAC) has announced its support of a potential National Apprenticeship Council (NCA), which was outlined by government in the recently published Apprenticeships Implementation Plan.
As the voice of industry apprenticeships, the IAC was conceived and formed by specialist industry awarding organisation EAL over a year ago to give apprentices a national voice for the first time. Government’s plans to improve apprenticeships awareness looks to build on the achievements of the IAC.
One aspect of that work “could include the creation of a National Apprenticeship Council run by young people with elected representatives to spread peer to peer messages,” the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced on Monday, October 28th.
“A national apprentice-led council, with representatives from all sectors of the economy, would ensure the voice of apprentices gets louder and we can have our say on the future of Apprenticeships in England,” said Lizzie Moffatt, an IAC member and Vauxhall apprentice.
She continued: “The IAC was brought together by EAL because apprentices did not previously have a platform for getting their voice heard nationally. Since then, we have taken part in government’s consultation on the Richard Review of Apprenticeships, including a round table discussion with BIS, with some of our recommendations clearly visible in the new Apprenticeships Implementation Plan. We have also regularly participated in the All Party Parliamentary Apprenticeships Group (APPAG), ensuring our voice is heard by the decision makers in Parliament and those working with apprentices.
“A National Apprenticeship Council would give apprentices another platform to make our voices heard and ensure Apprenticeships meet the needs of learners. As a member of the IAC, we hope to play a central role in the development, implementation and running of a National Apprenticeship Council in future.”
The IAC’s members are all industry apprentices from around the UK, aged 18-24 years old, from employers including: Airbus, BAE Systems, Caunton Engineering, DAF Trucks, Ford Dealerships, Ford GB, KMF, MBDA, National Grid, Nestlé, Rolls Royce and Vauxhall.
