Abstract :
England´s three main political parties are out to win the apprenticeships argument at election time. But whose policies would best tackle the engineering skills gap? And what issues face those making apprenticeships work at the local level? From aerospace to telecommunications, electronics to fusion research, engineering apprenticeships are now widespread. They give young people the chance to gain both the head-knowledge and the hands-on experience to fulfil the roles employers need, without the price tag of university. This Parliament has seen its two millionth apprenticeship start, and many more have been promised by each of the three main parties in their General Election campaigns.
