Apprenticeships have featured as part of the Chancellor George Osborne’s forecast for the country during the autumn statement.

With youth unemployment at a record high and the country still in the thick of an economic low, Osborne’s message was loud and clear that the UK’s success and future lies in apprentices.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Chancellor said; “Youth unemployment has been rising for seven years and is now unacceptably high.”

“I want to help any business seeking to employ a young person who is out of work.” But as highlighted further in his speech; “it is made worse by a lack of skills. Too many children are leaving school after eleven years of compulsory education without the basics they need for the world of work.”

Addressing the balance, the Government highlighted plans for a new Youth Contract that would seek and secure intern placements in the private sector for every young person unemployed for three months. Osborne revealed; “After nine months, we will help pay for a job or an apprenticeship in a private business.”

The coalition Government has made it clear that apprenticeships are at the very top of their agenda and today was a landmark occasion; where words would be turned into actions and actions that would not only benefit the UK’s youth, but help businesses prosper through people.

The Chancellor expanded; “if we’re really going to change the economic performance of this country and tackle Britain’s decades long problems with productivity, then we have to transform our school system too – so that children leave school prepared for the world of work.”

Words of encouragement that EEF wholeheartedly support – with so much emphasis over recent years being put on students to continue further education without exploring all options. Especially with university fees set to soar next year.

As part of this educational reform, Osborne announced that an extra £1.2billion will be invested with £600million being spent to fund 100 additional free schools.

The Chancellor added; “These schools will include new Maths Free Schools for 16-18 year olds. This will give our most talented young mathematicians the chance to flourish. Like the new university technical colleges, these Maths Free Schools are exactly what Britain needs to match our competitors – and produce more of the engineering and science graduates so important for our longer term economic success.”

A bold statement to end on and if given the opportunity to succeed, the investment will produce an army of talented young people with the potential to grow, develop and excel to become the world’s leading manufacturers.

With the Chancellor giving UK businesses the tools, resources and funding to fight their way out of this recession through utilising the raw natural talent of an apprentice, there’s really no better time to intern placements and apprenticeships. And of course, the EEF are here to guide you.