Research On The Development Of Modern Apprenticeships In UK Since The 1960s

Apprenticeship has a long history as an important form of vocational education and training.In ancient society,apprenticeship,as a way of inheriting skills and a qualification for entry into the profession,was generally signed the agreement between the master and the apprentice's parents under the supervision of guilds and other organizations.The master taught the apprentice skills,and the qualified apprentices obtained the qualification for specific industries.With the development of the economy and the progress of the society,the connotation and extension of apprenticeship have changed greatly,it was no longer a tool for somebody to obtained qualification of some profession,but it is still a very important kind of skill training.As the world's first industrialized country,Britain has created the world-renowned industrial civilization,profoundly affected the historical process of the development of human society.Obtaining a highly qualified labor force is the secret that UK can play an important role in the world,and apprenticeships have made a significant contribution to the promotion of labor.Apprenticeships in Britain originated in the medieval and have a history of nearly one thousand years.After the glory of guild apprenticeships and the decline after the industrial revolution,they have not retired from the stage of history.After entering the 20th century,British apprenticeships returned to the world with its tenacious vitality.During a series of reforms,it has formed a complete and distinct system.Apprenticeships include pre-apprenticeships,youth apprenticeships,advanced apprenticeships,higher apprenticeships,degree apprenticeships and adult apprenticeships.This paper mainly discusses the historical process of apprenticeships development in the UK since the 1960s.The process is divided into four stages: the initial intervention stage(1960s-1970s),the laissez-faire stage(late 1970s-early 1990s),the government-led stage(mid-1990s-early 2010s)and the employer-led stage(early 2010s to present).Throughout the development process,with the upgrading of concept of vocational education and training,the improvement of the operating mechanism and the strengthening of social forces to participate in,the British modern apprenticeships broads the pathway of work-based learning for young people,bridges their knowledge learning and skill upgrading,and effectively tailored the national development strategy,labor skill training and employers demand together,meet the demand for the development of the state,employers and apprentice correspondently.Although China and the UK have different systems and cultures,the experience and lessons in the development of apprenticeships in the UK are worth learning from and paying attention to in the process of developing modern apprenticeship in China.