AbstractBackgroundThat so many employers in various sectors continue to train apprentices despite incurring substantial costs can be taken as prima facie evidence of there being ways to mitigate the investment risk. The main downside in the English apprenticeship system is that the overall levels of employer engagement and training volumes are considered sub-optimal and in reality there is a fine balance which can put the performance of the firm and the wider economy at risk due to insufficient skill development.MethodsThis paper draws on data from the Net Costs and Benefits of Training to Employers series of studies (carried out between 1994 and 2012). Each of the original studies consisted of case studies of employers in particular sectors in which the costs associated with training an apprentice were considered against the benefits employers obtain through this activity during the training period. Data in the original studies was collected in face-to-face interviews with the employers. The data were aligned with an accounting framework that captured the relevant costs and benefits of apprenticeship training from the perspective of the employer. Calculations were carried out to also indicate the payback period (i.e. the period after training has taken over which an employer could be expected to recoup any net cost they had incurred).ResultsWe present the most comprehensive available estimates of the net costs of apprenticeship to employers in England to illustrate how costs vary across sectors and how, for most employers, engaging in apprenticeship training leaves them with a net cost at the end of the training period. The extent of this net cost at the end of the formal training period is found to vary substantially by sector and level of apprenticeship and over time, in real terms, the net costs of training have tended to increase across all sectors. Employers reported a range of rationales for training apprentices; from supply-led (e.g. where participation was prompted by training providers offering it for free) to more demand-led (e.g. where employers saw apprenticeship as necessary for acquiring needed skills) reasons. Employer sensitivity to various cost parameters depended upon where on the supply- to demand-led continuum they fell.ConclusionDespite various policy changes since the mid-1990s, employers’ engagement in apprenticeships in England has not achieved a significant volume and there are still financial risks attached to investing in this form of training. Even with the latest reforms of funding and delivery embodied in the move to apprenticeship standards and the introduction of an employer levy, there is no guarantee that more employers will be willing to train apprentices or that those who already engage will train more. There is a need to consider various ways of reducing employers’ risk without inducing unintended behavioural changes that counter overall policy objectives.

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英格兰的雇主和学徒制：成本，风险和政策改革

摘要背景尽管有很多成本支出，但各个行业的许多雇主仍在继续培训学徒，这可以作为存在减轻投资风险方法的初步证据。英国学徒制的主要缺点是，雇主参与和培训的整体水平被认为是次优的，实际上存在良好的平衡，由于技能不足，这可能使公司的业绩和整个经济体处于风险中方法本文采用1994年至2012年进行的``对雇主培训的净成本和收益''系列研究中的数据。每项原始研究都包括对特定部门雇主的案例研究，在这些部门中，与培训学徒相关的成本被视为与雇主在培训期间通过此项活动所获得的收益相比较。原始研究中的数据是在与雇主进行面对面采访时收集的。数据与会计框架保持一致，该会计框架从雇主的角度捕获了学徒培训的相关成本和收益。还进行了计算以表明投资回收期（即培训后的这段时间，可以预期雇主可以收回其产生的任何净成本）。结果我们向英格兰的雇主提供了最全面的学徒制净成本估算，以说明成本在各个部门之间如何变化，以及对于大多数雇主而言，参加学徒制培训如何使他们在培训期结束时获得净成本。正式培训期结束时的净费用范围因部门和学徒水平的不同而有很大差异，并且随着时间的流逝，实际上，培训的净费用在所有部门均趋于增加。雇主报告了培训学徒的一系列理由；从供应主导（例如，由提供免费培训的培训提供者促使参与）到更多需求主导（例如，雇主将学徒制视为获得所需技能的必要条件）的原因。雇主对各种成本参数的敏感度取决于以供需为主导的连续性下降的位置。结论尽管自1990年代中期以来发生了各种政策变化，但雇主在英格兰从事学徒制的工作量并没有达到很大，而且仍然存在财务风险重视对这种培训形式的投资。即使采用向学徒制标准迈进的最新资金和交付改革，也引入了雇主征费，也不能保证更多的雇主愿意培训学徒，或者已经雇用的人将培训更多。有必要考虑各种降低雇主风险的方法，而又不会引起与整体政策目标相违背的意外行为改变。结论尽管自1990年代中期以来发生了各种政策变化，但雇主在英格兰从事学徒培训的工作量并没有达到很大，而且投资于这种形式的培训仍然存在财务风险。即使采用向学徒制标准迈进的最新资金和交付改革，也引入了雇主征费，也不能保证更多的雇主愿意培训学徒，或者已经雇用的雇主将培训更多。有必要考虑各种降低雇主风险的方法，而又不会引起与整体政策目标相违背的意外行为改变。结论尽管自1990年代中期以来发生了各种政策变化，但雇主在英格兰从事学徒培训的工作量并没有达到很大，而且投资于这种形式的培训仍然存在财务风险。即使采用向学徒制标准迈进的最新资金和交付改革，也引入了雇主征费，也不能保证更多的雇主愿意培训学徒，或者已经雇用的人将培训更多。有必要考虑各种降低雇主风险的方法，而又不会引起与整体政策目标相违背的意外行为改变。雇主在英格兰从事学徒培训的人数尚未达到可观的水平，因此投资这种培训形式仍然存在财务风险。即使采用向学徒制标准迈进的最新资金和交付改革，也引入了雇主征费，也不能保证更多的雇主愿意培训学徒，或者已经雇用的人将培训更多。有必要考虑各种降低雇主风险的方法，而又不会引起与整体政策目标相违背的意外行为改变。雇主在英格兰从事学徒培训的人数尚未达到可观的水平，投资这种培训形式仍然存在财务风险。即使采用向学徒制标准迈进的最新资金和交付改革，也引入了雇主征费，也不能保证更多的雇主愿意培训学徒，或者已经雇用的人将培训更多。有必要考虑各种降低雇主风险的方法，而又不会引起与整体政策目标相违背的意外行为改变。我们无法保证会有更多的雇主愿意培训学徒，或者已经雇用的雇主会培训更多的雇主。有必要考虑各种降低雇主风险的方法，而又不会引起与整体政策目标相违背的意外行为改变。我们无法保证会有更多的雇主愿意培训学徒，或者已经雇用的雇主会培训更多的雇主。有必要考虑各种降低雇主风险的方法，而又不会引起与整体政策目标相违背的意外行为改变。