Research commissioned by Lifetime shows 54% of young people do not know about any Government funding to help them find work, 80% said they received no information from a career adviser, teacher or parent about apprenticeship opportunities and 67% admitted they would have no idea where to go to find out about apprenticeships.
With the introduction of the Future Jobs Fund and Apprenticeship Expansion Programme, the Government is ploughing investment into apprenticeship schemes to provide young people with funded training that will make them immediately qualified to seek employment in many industries. But the research suggests the political parties are still not doing enough to capture the youth vote as the election approaches.
Most 16-18 year-olds, however, do seem to have a reasonable understanding of what an apprenticeship is. More than eight out of 10 (84%) know an apprenticeship scheme involves on-the-job training and provides an opportunity to earn and learn at the same time. They feel positively about this vocational approach to training with 80% happy to consider this form of training.
Nigel Wallace, director of training at Lifetime, said: "While it is encouraging that a high percentage of young people view apprenticeships as a credible and effective route to employment, it is disappointing that they are not receiving enough information on the vast array of opportunities available and how to get started.
"Lifetime runs government-funded, leisure-based apprenticeship programmes across England and has already trained more than 2,000 people in the past 14 months but we could train more. The resource is available but the problem seems to be that young people are not being signposted to us.
"With youth unemployment at its highest since the mid-1990s, on-the-job training is ideal for teenagers looking to gain experience and qualifications while earning money. The fitness and leisure industry has enjoyed a 2% growth despite the recession and vocational training is looked upon very favourably by the sector's large employers."
