Direct funding for employers wanting to buy apprenticeship training is being tabled by the government as part of Doug Richard's report on the employment process.
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has urged employers to design bespoke apprenticeship standards and qualifications as part of the latest government drive.
The Department for Business Innovation & Skills has published its report on the government's apprenticeships programme, and the government will now ask entrepreneur Doug Richard to look into the issue.
The number of employers taking on apprentices has risen by 10 per cent during the 2011/12 academic year, the Department for Business Innovation & Skills says.
