The proposal was made by David Willetts Conservatives shadow Universities spokesman, in a speech at their conference.

Alan Ritchie, the union's general secretary said : "Successive Conservative Governments nearly destroyed the apprenticeship system during the 1980’s and 1990’s. They had total disdain in investing in skills for the future. To now claim that apprenticeships are the way forward is the grossest of hypocrisy and should be taken with a large spoonful of salt.”

In July Ucatt produced academic research Apprenticeships – A Firm Foundation, which found that the laissez faire approach to training championed by the Conservatives had failed. Despite the construction industry have seen a boom for 10 years, apprenticeship training had declined and was in danger of collapse.

However, Ucatt seem unable to grasp that in those ten years it has been Labour rather than the Conservatives in power.