JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Bertelsmann-Stiftung, and the Education Policy Institute will be hosting a major conference on apprenticeships on the 6th of April, one year after the apprenticeship levy was introduced.
The Post-16 Skills Plan was presented in 2016 based on the Sainsbury Review of Technical Education, with the objective to improve the vocational education and training in England. Apprenticeships will be the backbone of the new system and the government’s flagship policy to equip young people with the skills the labour market needs, smooth transition from school to work, and reduce youth unemployment.
The conference will see the launch of a very timely report, Apprenticeship training in England – a cost-effective model for firms? led by Stefan Wolter, head of the Centre for Research in Economics of Education at the University of Bern and chair of the OECD expert group on vocational education and training. The report analyses whether employers would benefit from provision models similar to those in place in Switzerland, using a range of data from Switzerland and England. Conclusions also build on discussions with English employers in 10 different occupations.
Attendees will be welcomed by EPI’s Chairman, Rt Hon. David Laws, and JP Morgan’s Head of Philanthropy for Europe, Middle-East, and Africa, Hang Ho.
Professor Stefan Wolter, author of the report, will present findings of the research and answer to questions from attendees. The report will be complemented with evidence on students’ returns from apprenticeships (Chiara Cavaglia, London School of Economics) and on the effects of having longer apprenticeships (Stefan Speckesser, National Institute of Economic and Social Research).
The event’s keynote speech will be provided by Neil Carberry (Confederation of British Industry).
Finally, a panel will discuss the current apprenticeship policy in England one year after the levy was introduced, linking it to the report presented. The panel will include Phillip Paige (JP Morgan), Andrea Haug (John Lewis), Simon Ashworth (Association of Employment and Learning Providers), Kathleen Henehan (Resolution Foundation), and Stefan Wolter.
For further information on this event please contact info@epi.org.uk.
