We consider two interpretations of the role of external inspection in the public services, in the context of publicly funded work-based training programmes for young people. The first is that inspection provides substantive information to buyers concerning training quality, thereby improving...

We consider the prospects for apprenticeship in British retailing, in terms of the contribution of apprenticeship to intermediate skills and the contribution of large employers to the Advanced Apprenticeship (AA) programme. Evidence is taken from interviews with training and HR managers from 17...