It has become apparent, through information presented at a recent conference for Manufacturing Skills, that parents of students have taken an active role in supporting and procuring training and certificate qualifications for apprentices.

This is a significant cultural departure from days gone by when parents knew little of the apprenticeship scheme, unless they were former graduates or participants, and that students (their children) were left to their own devices to manage their own cadetship/indentured arrangements/livelihoods.  Far be it now for parents not to have a firm grasp of the inner workings of the OP system, QCS examiniations, school-based traineeships, or even a dotted line to the Group Training Organisation.