News story: Apprenticeship Delivery Board – 12 months on

Today (Thursday, 26 January) the ADB came together to recognise and acknowledge its achievements in the 12 months since it was formed.

The Apprenticeship Delivery Board (ADB), created to advise on expanding apprenticeships nationally, are working with the National Apprenticeship Service to increase the number of apprenticeship places that employers offer in both the public and private sector. The ADB is a key tool in driving the delivery of 3 million apprenticeship starts during this parliament.

Chaired by David Meller, Chair of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and reporting directly to Skills Minister Robert Halfon MP, members of the board include:

  • David Abraham, Chief Executive of Channel 4
  • Melanie Hayes, Resourcing and Development Director, Compass Group
  • Dr Andrew Parmley, Lord Mayor of London
  • Mike Thompson, Head of Employability at Barclays
  • Rami Ranger CBE, Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd
  • Simon Blagden CBE, Non-Executive Chairman at Fujitsu
  • James Wates CBE, Chairman, Wates Construction
  • Julie Taylor, Director General, Head Office and Commissioning Services, Ministry of Defence
  • Judith Nelson, Retail Sector member

Today’s event highlighted the many employers and intermediaries that the ADB have already engaged with, including the likes of Bauer Media, Claire’s Accessories, Harris Trust, Prudential and Yahoo!.

Richard Harrington MP, was in attendance and he recognised five employers for their continued commitment to apprenticeships: Deloitte, Screwfix/Kingfisher, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Faccenda, and O2 – whilst also recognising the commitment of the ADB members.

David Meller said:

This is an important milestone for the ADB. In the last 12 months we have engaged with leading employers in England to expand the current apprenticeship programme and to reach out to those not previously involved with apprenticeships. This is just the start of the journey and the very recent announcements on the Industrial Strategy and Institute for Apprenticeships will also be considered and embraced within the ADB brief.

We couldn’t have achieved the great things we have so far had it not been for the commitment of the board and today we want to thank them for their support.