Workers in small firms granted fee waiver

Tuition fees are being waived for workers in small and medium-sized businesses who want to study part-time for higher education qualifications.

The government will put Pounds 5 million extra into its Pounds 140,000 graduate apprenticeship pilot schemes. The extra cash will provide free tuition for those in small firms who want to study part-time for higher national diplomas and degrees.

Graduate apprenticeships were announced in the 1998 Learning Age green paper as a way to raise graduate employability. Pilots began late last year.