Why don't they cut VAT on training costs to open it up to more people, rather than give a few lucky apprentices a freebie!!
I can't see this happening, in fact only £217,800 is all that will be available for commercial pilot training, split between Jet2, BA, Monarch, CAA and Flybe.
There appears to be some confusion here. The headline £25m was funding for research into, and creation of, new higher apprenticeship schemes, the majority of which was earmarked last December. A remaining £6m from the fund is being handed over to the development of apprenticeship courses for pilots, lawyers etc, recently announced.
On the pilot front, City & Guilds, in partnership with Jet2 and an, as yet unconfirmed FTO have until the end of next March to develop an National Qualifications Framework approved apprenticeship for commercial pilots which could then be rolled out nationally, open for all UK airlines and all training methods, i.e. both integrated and modular.
If approved then students should (not 'will') be eligible for student loans and VAT may (not 'will') be removed from flight training course fees. Additionally, as the apprenticeship will involve a direct tie-in with an airline, said airline should (not 'will') pay students a minimum national wage during their training and employ them in various departments during the length of the course to broaden their airline operations knowledge in order to develop transferable skills which a NQF-approved apprenticeship requires.
The above courtesy of an informative article in the July edition of Flight Training News.