SIR - The provocative report from The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) casts doubt and raises concerns over the UK Government’s apprenticeship initiatives.

As a training specialist, I agree with a number of its findings. The Apprenticeship Levy, due to be introduced in April, will effectively be another payroll tax; the quantity of proposed apprentices may, in some cases, cause a dilution in quality; public money may be needed to be used to shore up schemes; apprenticeships may be taken up by those over 25.

I would argue that these perceived risks are less dangerous than the alternative. There is a dearth of skills in the UK. Industry demands global competitiveness but our higher education sector is limited in what it can provide to support the UK’s practical skill-base.

If the worst that can happen with the scheme is that 600,000 new apprentices are trained annually and some of those people are in their late 20s, is that such a bad thing?

Quality will decline if there is an abdication of responsibility on the part of employers and training providers. Given the framework provided by the Government it is however in both parties interests to make the most of that.

Chris Wood, CEO, Develop Training