The Institute Of The Motor Industry has launched an attack on the government's 'Improved Apprenticeships' scheme.

“The aims of the Government’s approach to apprenticeships are admirable, but sadly we think pretty impractical certainly in the retail motor industry”, explained Steve Nash, Chief Executive of the Institute of the Motor Industry.

The IMI helps design the content and structure of apprenticeship schemes across the retail motor sector.

He added: “The reality is that a large percentage of employers in the sector are small, proprietor-led businesses. The people who own and run these organisations already struggle to find the time to complete the basic paperwork for their business; is it really realistic to expect them to dedicate focused resources to creating an effective apprenticeship scheme? And what this means is that another avenue for young people to get on the jobs ladder is closed.

“Indeed, feedback we receive from stakeholders in apprenticeships strongly suggest that the current frameworks are fit-for-purpose. This therefore poses the question as to why there is a need for change. Is it a case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?”

Mr Nash said the lack of a benchmark for all apprenticeship programmes make it very difficult to compare and ‘transport’ across sectors.

Aside from these reservations, he believes that the IMI is in a 'really good position' to move forward with the requirement to ensure that the new apprenticeship programmes are employer-led and meet the sector needs - and employ an end of programme skills assessment that is industry recognised and leads to professional recognition.   

“Whilst the IMI is not directly involved in any of the ‘trailblazer’ pilots, we will be looking to ensure that we work closely with colleagues in the Automotive Trailblazer to ensure that we can represent our employers’ needs, and that we can learn from this pilot so that we are in a good position to move forward with apprenticeship programmes for the automotive retail sector.”