Chapter 11 Policy interventions for a vibrant work-based route-or when policy hits reality's fan (again) Ewart Keep and Jonathan Payne The new two-year Youth Training Scheme stands comparison with any training scheme for young people in the world. (Lord Young of Graffham, MSC Youth Training News, February 1986) If the two-year YTS fails then we are at the end of the road. (Geoffrey Holland, cited in Evans, 1992:194) As the staying-on rate has rocketed, the proportion of 16 and 17-year 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) Introduction 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 -187- |