A report by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)
This report was the conclusion of a three-year evaluation of the Young Apprenticeships (YA) programme. The YA programme allows schools to offer young people aged 14 to 16 (Key Stage Four) a course of study that is heavily reliant on work-related learning, including 50 days of work experience for each student. Young Apprenticeships are available across a range of vocational areas. The evaluation was based on visits to eighteen partnerships and concluded that:
- the programme was a successful alternative to traditional learning routes for average and above average ability students with a high proportion of students achieving well
- students responded well to the type of learning, being enthusiastic, well motivated and well behaved
- participating employers were impressed by the positive attitudes of the young people and they saw clear benefits in it to themselves and to students
- participating employers considered Young Apprentices had developed skills and attributes that made them more employable
The Young Apprenticeships programme, 2004-07: An Evaluation – full report