Higher training costs for older workers risks plan to tackle youth jobs crisis, employers say
Source: The Guardian ·
Exclusive: Ministers planning overhaul of apprenticeship funding to increase cost of over-25s training, Guardian understandsBritain’s largest employers have told the government that forcing businesses to pay more to train older workers risks damaging its goal to tackle the youth jobs crisis.The Guardian understands ministers plan to overhaul Labour’s apprenticeship funding scheme to increase the…
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Britain’s largest employers have told the government that forcing businesses to pay more to train older workers risks damaging its goal to tackle the youth jobs crisis. The Guardian understands ministers plan to overhaul Labour’s apprenticeship funding scheme to increase the cost of training a worker over the age of 25 in England by 25%, to encourage firms to train young people instead. Drawn up before Wednesday’s budget, the proposal, which was first reported last week, is expected to form part of the government response to Alan Milburn’s review into why so many young people are unemployed. The chancellor, John Healey, is widely tipped to announce measures to bolster opportunities for young people to help the 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neet) across the country. However, business leaders urged the government to reconsider the plan to make training older workers more expensive. “It will just mean opportunities are shifted around instead of…