Never mind the quantity feel the depth

There’s nothing like a large numeric target to motivate ministers and their civil servants and the idea of three million apprenticeships is just that. It is an audacious goal for England. If it motivates all those involved – employers, colleges, training providers, curriculum designers, teachers, coaches, mentors and apprentices – really to understand what an outstanding apprenticeship experience is, then the target will have served its purpose. In this chapter Bill Lucas explores the improvements to vocational pedagogy which will be necessary if the UK’s emphasis is to be more than work-based learning flag-waving which ends up damaging the brand of apprenticeships.