The government has committed itself to implementing the recommendations of a new report aimed at simplifying apprenticeship schemes for large employers.

John Hayes, minister of state for further education, skills and lifelong learning,told delegates at the launch of the report at the CBI this morning: “The report is music to my ears. Make no mistake, we will implement these changes.”

Among the recommendations of the report published today by the Learning Skills and Improvement Service, ‘Simplifying end-to-end apprenticeship processes for large employers’, are:

- a move to payment by results for employers who run their own apprenticeship schemes

- reduce duplication by different bodies in the process - for example, requests for the same information by funding and inspection bodies

- a three-year contracting cycle

- a single organisation should have overarching responsibility for the process from start to finish.

Hayes added that the lessons from the report would be used to help boost SMEs’ engagement with apprenticeships.

Hayes gave his personal commitment to apprenticeships: “I am so totally committed to apprenticeships that I intend to make it the pivotal point of the whole of our skills strategy.”

Andy Palmer, director of education & skills at BT Group, said that by simplifying apprenticeships and cutting bureaucracy companies could do more with their existing apprenticeships and take on more apprentices.

It would also send out a message to smaller companies that apprenticeships aren’t complicated and that they too could enjoy the benefits.