Apprentices to make up 2.3 per cent of public sector workforce

All large public sector bodies will be required to take on a set number of apprentices this year, which will ensure they make up 2.3 per cent of the public sector workforce.

The move was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in a bid to meet government targets of three million apprentices trained by the end of this Parliament.

Public sector bodies, including local government and the NHS, will take on 200,000 more apprentices by the end of 2020.

Cameron said: “Today we’re going even further with our apprenticeship 2020 vision. We’ll make every part of the public sector from Whitehall to local government, the NHS, the police, we’ll make all of those organisations ensure that apprenticeships form at least 2.3 per cent of their total staff. That will help us to deliver the skills that young people need, and the workforce of the future.”