Marking National Apprenticeship Week the Prime Minister David Cameron today announced a new round of Government funding to support thousands of apprenticeships up to degree equivalent, helping deliver the world class skills firms need to drive growth. 

From today, businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6m from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.

The Prime Minister also opened the bidding for the new Employer Ownership pilot, inviting employers in England to apply to access up to £250m of public investment and secure more control over how skills training is designed and delivered.

He also announced that from this week, small firms will be offered an incentive of £1,500 to hire their first young apprentices. This is expected to support up to 40,000 new apprenticeships over the next year.

Mothers in deprived areas are put off from playgroups by fears about cliques of other mothers - or because they think they are not from the "right social class", research suggests.

A study from Bristol University has been trying to find out why families most in need of help are often the least likely to use children's centres.

It found one in four had gone once - and then had never gone again.

Worries about not fitting in were claimed to be more important than cost.
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