Only trouble is a great idea ......but where are these lads going to train. About the only places where we actually manufacture anything now is cars.
I know us old'uns hanker for the good old days, but when we had Pits, Steel works, car plants ship yards, power stations, we had the capability to train......... industry not services!!!!
We had places where we could and where I was trained ...................where are we going to train these lads JD sports, B & Q, Matalan !!!!
Be interesting to see where they propose these apprenticeships come from
Whilst i agree with you on the demise of many of our past major manufacturing companies, I think there are still a good many companies out there that can, if financially motivated, provide excellent apprenticeship schemes. They range from the major electrical contracting companies, down through the large, medium and even some of the smaller electrical contractors. We still have a fair number (nothing like the numbers we knew) of industrial manufacturers, including power stations, along with the distribution companies. In fact when i checked, i was quite surprised at the number and diversity of UK industrial manufacturing base. everything from brewery's to hi-tech components etc etc.....
So these companies are around, and a good many probably already have apprenticeship schemes in place, if only to replenish the skill requirements needed for their particular industry. Let's face it they need too, ....A Electrical Trainee ain't gonna to be any good to them whatsoever!!... lol!!
No-matter what anyone says, a technical based professional trade, NEEDS a good training base both academic and hands-on. If we don't start providing that kind of training again, under the the well proven ''Indentured Apprenticeship'' It's not going to be too long, before we will a 3rd class country, that will need to source it's technical skill needs from overseas... Basically what you, and myself are doing now, for the companies we are working for... lol!!!
Trouble with the UK as far as i see it, you've let all these leeches into the equation that have systematically gone about controlling several sections of the industry by lowering standards to suit their own means, while filling their own pockets. Getting that control back, is going to be a long up-hill struggle, that is going to need every bit help from wherever you can get it.