Announcing new measuresas as part of the Government's Plan for Growth Business Secretary Vince Cable said red tape that can deter employers from taking on apprentices would be slashed. The changes will include health and safety requirements being streamlined including the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) sacking all of the 25 health and safety posts of staff with responsibility for seeking assurance and verification of Training Providers contractual obligations for the assessment of workplaces offering apprenticeships.

When the SFA replaced the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) it seems to have learned nothing because the health and safety arrangements for apprentices was introduced as a result of 9 work related apprentices fatalities in 2003. The 9 fatals was largely due to the fact the LSC took a position that the health and safety of learners / apprentices was not their responsibility and they had no Duty of Care for them. It was only after Education Minister Ivan Lewis intervened and instructed the LSC to ensure policies and procedures were put in place for the health and safety protection of learners / apprentices. The result was regional learner health and safety teams were put in place. In just over 12 months the 9 fatals reduced to 0 and an excellent record maintained in the overall learner / apprentices accident incident rates.

This is a further example of the Goverment and in particular the SFA citing health and safety is a constraint to employers taking on apprentices. It is a tradegy waiting to happen where young inexperienced people starting out on their working lives are being put at risk by the decisions of ill advised ministers.