Ms Lynne Keery:

The newer, consortium-led apprenticeships tend not to have that large block release piece. They might be a day or two days per week. Often, that comes from the employers involved in the development saying, "We are a small employer and we can't release our staff for six months at a time." They have a slightly more flexible model. The problem of deciding which model or what combination of both those models works best is very difficult. In some professions, you need those six months off the job because there is substantial training you need to do before you can be useful in your workplace; in others, it is supplementing it. It is a difficult one to answer and it is hard for small businesses.