An essay collection with leading experts sets out ways to improve the quality of apprenticeships and ensure fair access to training. Despite the United Kingdom's recent apprenticeship reforms, the number of apprenticeship starts is down 25%, leaving the government increasingly off target for its aim of three million starts by 2020. The essays also highlight the stark inequalities in access to apprenticeships. Apprenticeship applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are half as likely to succeed as applications from white backgrounds. Women made up only 600 of 17,500 engineering apprenticeships. The new report calls for urgent action to tackle these inequalities and boost quality. Ideas for change include: (1) devolution so cities and local areas have greater control; (2) an Apprentice Premium to better support under-represented groups; and (3) requiring all apprenticeship standards to meet the world's best. [Forewords by Stephen Evans and Robert Halfon.]