Expanding and delivering apprenticeships is an essential building block in the Government’s wider agenda of ensuring world class skills by 2020 and diversifying the learning offer to keep young people participating until age 18. The Government has set the target of increasing apprenticeship numbers to 500,000 by 2020, has promised an apprenticeship entitlement for every qualified young person who wants one, and has committed to a 25% increase in apprenticeship funding by 2010/11. Hearing from employers, leading policy makers and good practice case studies, this one-day event examined the latest developments with the vacancy matching scheme, advanced apprenticeships and effective employer engagement to deliver the new entitlement. Keynote speaker, David Lammy MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, spoke of his unconventional route to becoming an MP. Describing his educational background in Tottenham, he said he was "...very much one of the lucky ones...here because teachers, local priests, a very tough mother and bank manager invested in me to get me to this point". This passing on of experience he sees as being at the core of what apprenticeships should be about.