As the staying-on rate has rocketed, the proportion of 16 and 17year olds undertaking training in the workplace, whether government funded or not, has fallen steadily. If there is now to be a major expansion of apprenticeships, what is to be the driving force behind such a reversal of recent trends? (Berkeley, 2000:10) In many cases, particularly in vocational education and industrial training, we have seen old programmes relaunched under a change of name, but without substantial changes in the patterns of resourcing or incentives for the various participants. (Oates, 2000:20). This chapter aims to do two things. First, it examines the current policy options for securing a healthy, vibrant future for work-based training in England. The main focus is on initial vocational education and training for young entrants to the labour force (those in the 16 to 24 age group). There are many equally, perhaps more, important issues concerning adult learning in the workplace and how this can best be supported, but to do any justice to these would require another chapter. However, we suggest that there may be considerable merit in trying to link policy on initial VET to wider policy options for adult training and, crucially, for reflection on the role of employers in providing training, both for young entrants and adult workers. In geographical terms, the main focus is upon England, though much of the analysis can, in broad terms, be applied throughout the UK. © Individual contributors, 2002.
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