National Apprenticeship Service

1. National Apprenticeship Service David Jackson Employer Services Manager National Apprenticeship Service London Region

2. Department for Business Innovation and Skills • ‘those of you who have followed the debate around further education policy over the last few years will know how much store this government sets on apprenticeships. There are many good reasons for that. First and foremost, the apprenticeships model is not only work-based, but work-focused. It passes on the practical skills needed to do a particular job in a way that is widely appreciated and understood. • Demand for apprenticeship places is growing and one of our priorities is to encourage more employers to participate. Apprenticeships are both a route to key competences for employees and a vital way to help employers build highly skilled, efficient businesses.’ • John Hayes • Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning • 17th June 2010, City and Islington College

3. SKILLS FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH November 2010 Apprenticeships are at the heart of the system that we will build. They bring together individuals, motivated and working hard to develop themselves; employers, investing in their own success but supporting a programme with wider social, environmental and economic value; and Government, providing public funding and building the prestige and reputation of the programme.

4. Skills for Growth - recommendations • ●● We will expand the numbers of adult Apprenticeships available by up to 75,000 by 2014–15 • ●● We will reshape Apprenticeships so Level 3 becomes the level to which learners and employers aspire • ●● We will ensure there are clear routes from Apprenticeships to higher level training including, but not exclusively, Level 4 Apprenticeships

5. Content ofApprenticeship: • An Apprenticeship is not a qualification in itself • Common structure to all apprenticeships • Specific content determined by Sector Skills Councils • 180 Frameworks covering 80 industry sectors • Available at two levels: • Apprenticeship to Level 2 • Equivalent to 5 GCSE’s A- C grade • Advanced Apprenticeship to Level 3 • Equivalent to 2 A Levels Apprenticeship NVQ Competence Based Tech Cert Theoretical Underpinning Knowledge Key skills qualifications 5

6. Content of Apprenticeship: • Existing mandatory/essential training can be mapped against core qualifications to ensure there is no duplication (repetition) of training • Accreditation of Prior Learning can be applied to qualifications to exempt units the potential apprentice may have previously covered • This core mandatory offer can be supplemented by any additional training and qualifications felt necessary for the post • Specific additional training content can be accredited through QCF with a suitable awarding body

7. Apprenticeships and Employment Apprentices are always in full time employment :- • Existing employee on existing terms – allowing maximum redeployment of existing highly valued staff. • Existing employee on existing terms - ensures consistent, high quality performance across departments   • New recruit into full time vacancy – ensures maximum effectiveness into the new role and opens up recruitment to focus on Attitude and Aptitude • New recruit to fixed term vacancy – this allows recruitment as above but offers the flexibility of setting the pay rate to match the training position and/or ties training outcomes into performance management. • New recruit to ATA (Apprentice Training Agency) similar to Fixed term contract but in this case the ATA acts as the employer and takes on full HR responsibility.

8. Skills Funding Agency Funding • Funding is usually drawn down directly by a contracted Training Provider and the amount of subsidy is dependant on age band • Apprentices who are 16,17 or 18 when they start their programme are funded at 100% of the expected cost of the specific framework (the actual amount varies between frameworks) • Apprentices who are between 19 and 24 when they start their programme are funded at 50% of the above rate • Apprentices who are 25 or more are funded at about 40% of the 16 -18 rate • Funding available for the Advanced Apprenticeship L3 Business For an employer with 1000+ employees is • 16-18 = £5,729 • 19-24 = £2,043. • 25+ = £1,717

9. National Apprenticeship Service • Employer Services Managers Helping you find the right ‘frameworks’ and the right providers Sector and Geographical (Borough) leads to provide individual support and advice • Learner Services Working with intermediaries to support and encourage potential candidates • Vacancy Matching System To compliment and support existing recruitment processes

10. Summary of Key Benefits • Apprenticeships provide comprehensive high quality training with the assurance to mangers that all staff trained demonstrate the required quality of delivery and performance. • Apprenticeships provide a suite of nationally recognised qualifications for the trainees ensuring full understanding and competency in their role. • Existing training can be mapped and assimilated into the Apprenticeship framework to ensure relevance to the employer and avoiding duplication for the trainee. • Apprenticeships provide an HR solution to restructuring, facilitating optimisation of existing staff in new or redefined roles

11. Summary of Key Benefits • Apprenticeships support progression routes through employment bands e.g. from Health Care assistant to Assistant Practitioner and possibly on to a full Degree in Nursing for example. • Apprenticeships allow for flexibility in recruitment which is not dependant on previous experience and/or qualifications but focuses on attitude and aptitude. • Fixed term contracts or ATA’s can be used where full time vacancies are not currently available. • Training budgets can be extended by benefiting from the funding subsidy paid by the Skills Funding Agency for Apprenticeships.

12. Useful Links • The content of apprenticeships are currently going through a period of change due to the replacement of the NQF with the QCF http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/qualification-and-assessment-framework/89-articles/145-explaining-the-qualifications-and-credit-framework • The Apprenticeship Blueprint is being replaced by the new Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/About-Us/SASE.aspx • BIS http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2010/Nov/Skills-for-sustainable-growth • National Apprenticeship Service http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/