LibDem Burnley MP Gordon Birtwhistle, a government apprenticeship ambassador, has written to the BBC's Director General, Lord Hall, asking for the opportunity to film a documentary on "real" apprentices.
This was in response to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, telling a national newspaper that the BBC programme featuring Lord Sugar gave a completely false impression of apprenticeships.
This is the second time he has written to Lord Hall on the subject, offering an alternative to the series, but set in Lancashire.
Speaking about the BBC programme, Mr Birtwhistle said: “It’s not real life. It’s good entertainment but it’s not really the real world. Real apprentices work hard for three years to get real jobs.
“The Real Apprentice would be based in a real industry with a real job to show for it afterwards, not a lot of self-promoting junk you see from the people on the current show.
“I’ve met hundreds of people working in aerospace, motoring, retail and banking who are studying hard to boost the economy and benefit the country.
“I’m still awaiting a response from Lord Hall but if I do get the go-ahead I’ll be looking for local people who have great success stories to tell.”
Mr Birtwhistle is well-placed to make his request - he is also the Chair of the All-Party Apprenticeships Group, and says that more needs to be done to make bright youngsters away that apprenticeships are a viable alternative to university, adding: “I’ve come across examples of people being told they are too smart to do engineering apprenticeships and told to become doctors.
“And yet a number of apprentices I know have gone on to get much better jobs than their friends who went down the university route.
“It’s important to make people aware of their options.”
