The government is set to announce plans for a new "junior apprenticeship" scheme.

Under the proposal, to be detailed next month, 14 to 16-year-olds will be able to spend two days a week at work, one day at college and two days in school.

Forum Response: British Youth Council

Richard Angell, vice chair (Finance) of the British Youth Council, told ePolitix.com: "BYC supports initiatives that prepare young people's entry into the workplace, where the emphasis is based on training and support rather than cheap labour. Apprenticeships provide young people with their first taste of the workplace, and add to their wider learning and transition into adulthood. It is important that their experience is a positive one, as negative experiences of the workplace discourage young people from entering after the age of 16. This was highlighted in the joint Unison and YMCA England submission to the Low Pay Unit in November 2003.

"However, BYC is keen to ensure that those 14-16 year olds who opt for this scheme are not exploited in the workplace. We urge the Secretary of State to ensure that upon the scheme's introduction, young people not only learn about the skills required for the workplace but their rights in the workplace. Equally, as many young people are discriminated on the basis of pay due to the age differential as part of the national minimum wage, BYC would want those young people who opt for the scheme to be treated the same as those young people who receive the training rate for the minimum wage. Whilst BYC's call for a national minimum wage for those aged 16-17 would only cover those at the upper age range, we believe that young people who take up this scheme should receive a training allowance.

"In addition to measures to prevent the exploitation of 14-16 year olds in the workplace, the educational experience of those who opt for the scheme should not suffer. Whilst the scheme provides an alternative for those young people who do not excel academically, it's voluntary status must be available to all young people, regardless of their academic potential. BYC is concerned by the possibility of using the scheme as a corrective measure against truancy. The government can not use a carrot and stick approach to remedy such problems, but must place greater emphasis on providing a rounded education experience for young people. One that takes account of their pastoral and educational needs. We hope that this scheme does not become a version of the New Deal, where it is seen as the ultimate solution to ending the skills shortage and truancy among young people at school.

"BYC does not endorse the need for the scheme to solely meet the needs of those in industry who deride employees as "incompetent". Training should be an ongoing process, a cornerstone to continued professional development, which every employer should prioritise for their employees.

"We believe that schools should be learning centred environments, where young people are nurtured to develop their academic and vocational skills by drawing on a wide variety of experiences. This approach will prevent our schools from becoming production lines, churning out model pupils with a limited set of skills for a specific section of industry thus limiting their future life choices. BYC does not want to see the future life choices for 14 year olds narrowed but expanded, with Junior Apprenticeships being one of a number of choices available to them."

Forum Response: Association of Teacher and Lecturers

ATL's deputy general secretary, Gwen Evans told ePolitix.com: "ATL would welcome the return of arrangements that were far from unusual in pre-National Curriculum days. Older teachers remember how much benefit some youngsters gained from structured work experience on employers' premises. There are provisos of course:

* If young people are not to be at risk of making premature choices many of England's connexions services will need to raise their game and raise it very fast so that guidance is reliable, accurate and in time for the apprenticeship decisions.

*Past experience was that some young people used to be motivated to return to full-time education having realised that they really needed a later entry into the world of work.

*For those young people who have major difficulties the scheme will only work if there is significant money for the monitoring and support needed. Young people who find the workplace problematic must be especially carefully cared for if they are not to experience a demoralising double failure.

"Done well this could be a costly but very worthwhile addition to existing opportunities."