Quality Apprenticeships: Addressing skills mismatch and youth unemployment

SKILLS for Employment Policy Brief

Governments, trade unions, employers’ associations and international organizations are calling for the improvement of apprenticeship systems at the global, regional and national levels. Quality apprenticeships are cost-effective, and has the potential to lower youth unemployment rates, enhance the competitiveness of enterprises and prepare skilled workers for rapidly-changing world of work. However, many countries face challenges in scaling up and sustaining quality apprenticeships programmes and increasingly seek advice from the ILO. This policy brief presents an overview of quality apprenticeships promoted by the ILO through outlining their key characteristics, benefits and challenges, as well as examining the building blocks and policy pointers for developing a successful quality apprenticeship system.