Local authorities have been urged by the prime minister to increase their apprentice numbers. Gordon Brown called on councils to offer more training places to school-leavers. Currently, the public sector only provides around 10% of apprenticeships, despite being among the biggest employers in the country. Councils could also be asked to take into account a private sector company's apprenticeship numbers as part of procurement contract decisions. David Freud, who was commissioned by Number 10 to review the welfare system, said: ‘The state has actually got to do quite a tough job, because it has to contract out effectively to the public, private and voluntary sectors so that the provision is carried out properly.'
