BRADFORD schools are failing to encourage pupils to become apprentices because they would lose money, an MP has warned.

David Ward called for "crazy incentives", which he claims are damaging the career chances of many young people, to be overhauled.

As part of his work with the Education Select Committee, the Bradford East MP has been looking at what is being done to help young people get involved in apprenticeships.

He said Bradford College had protested at not being allowed into schools to give careers advice, because head teachers and governors saw them as competition.

The Liberal Democrat added: "That’s clearly crazy. And it won’t change while the incentives remain the same

"It’s not that schools have bad people, but they are driven by incentives partly based on A-level results, so they want to keep their best students in school, to get more money coming in for the sixth form.

"They may not be providing impartial advice that’s in the best interests of young people – and that’s something we have got to change."

The MP called for an overhaul to reward schools for the "destinations" of their pupils, including those in work, or in apprenticeships, rather than simply their results.

Mr Ward spoke out after helping to carry out a parliamentary inquiry which found that too few teenagers are becoming apprentices.

The number of 16 to 19-year-olds starting a scheme is 10,000 lower than at the time of the 2010 general election, an inquiry by the all-party education select committee found.

Figures earlier this year showed that only 4,780 people in Bradford started a Government-backed apprenticeship scheme in 2013-14 - a fall of more than 11 per cent in just 12 months.

Kathryn Oldale, Principal of Bradford College, said: "Our data suggests that young people are not always fully aware of the opportunities apprenticeships present -73 per cent of our young apprentices are 17 or 18 when they start, and this suggests that 16 year olds are possibly missing out on this valuable experience.

"We are keen to help them and parents understand the benefits that an apprenticeship can bring."

Councillor Ralph Berry, executive for Children's services at Bradford Council, said he thought the situation was improving.

"I think it is something that is reducing. It is not in a school's best interests to divert a pupil away from what they want to do just to inflate their sixth form, because they will be held to account when it comes to results.

"I would be very worried as a parent if schools were pushing students towards anything other than what is best for them. Young people should look at all the options available to them," he said.