- Conference
- 2025 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 21 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference believes that it is essential to recruit and organise apprentices, and to bargain for high quality apprenticeships to be available in local government.
In the year 2022/2023, public sector targets were that 2.3% of all public sector employees should be apprentices. At this same time, according to the most recent UK Parliament report on apprentices, in England alone, the majority of apprentices for the academic year 22/23 were under the age of 25, while there is a very similar story in Wales, this meaning that there are a significant number of young workers who are likely without representation, with UNISON data suggesting we only have around 800 members of all ages in local government who are apprentices across the UK.
Conference notes that the quality of apprenticeships offered often varies across different sites within the same employer. UNISON is keen to push employers to take a strategic approach so that there is consistency across all apprenticeships. UNISON’s Apprenticeship Charter details the rights that all apprentices should have, along with the responsibilities of employers to the apprentices that they employ. These include providing a safe and healthy working environment and payment at the rate for the job. Conference notes that further effort is required to encourage and support employers in engaging with and implementing the charter.
On UNISON’s apprenticeships page, there are a large number of resources, including a model apprenticeship agreement, and toolkit for negotiators and reps. UNISON Learning and Organising Services have developed a course for branches and reps who would like to support apprentices through a mentoring scheme, covering a wide range of topics.
Conference also notes the motion passed at Local Government Conference in 2019, emphasising the need for apprenticeships to be provided, where possible, by further education colleges rather than public providers, and that FE colleges need to be adequately funded in order to deliver this.
Conference calls for the Local Government Service Group Executive to:
1) Work with regional local government committees and branches on campaigning activities to encourage our apprentices to be active in our union, and speak on issues that affect them in their workplace;
2) Work with regions to promote UNISON in colleges and 6th Forms where possible to recruit apprentices prior to starting employment and inform them of their workplace rights;
3) Work with regions and the NEC to develop a yearly campaign dedicated to recruitment and engagement with apprentices;
4) Work with local government branches to promote UNISON’s Apprenticeship Charter and encourage more employers to sign up to this;
5) Work with UNISON College to promote UNISON mentoring for apprentices training across every region in order to engage with apprentices more effectively;
6) Work with branches to survey apprentices on how best to engage with them, as well as any issues that they are currently experiencing for more targeted support.
