Gordon Marsden MP, Labour’s Shadow Skills Minister, commenting on Ofsted Chief Inspector Michael Wilshaw’s speech to the CBI in Solihull this morning, said:

“The Government’s push for quick targets risks short changing our young people’s future jobs and careers. Michael Wilshaw’s criticisms echo what we and a range of bodies have said, including the Government’s own review three years ago, about shortcomings in their strategy for expanding apprenticeships.

“Michael Wilshaw in his speech today criticised employers for not engaging enough with schools around apprenticeships. But it’s the Government that has choked off many work experience routes for employers and young people by dropping the requirement to have it for 14-16 year olds in the curriculum. A focus on high level training, skills and progression, not tick box accreditation in a race for numbers, is what we need now.”