The tension between what an employer wants, often linked in to use levy funds and, the requirements of an apprenticeship, features often in our conversations with clients about what a quality apprenticeship looks like.
I came across a paper by the team at Institute of Education UCL, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. Thought you might find these questions from the report helpful when considering how to use adult apprenticeships as part of a wider workforce development strategy.
• If apprentices are existing employees, what additionality is being achieved by the apprenticeship over and above the accreditation of existing competences and how are their existing knowledge and skills being built on?
• Do managers and trainers understand the different kinds of knowledge and experience attributed to younger and older apprentices and how these can be utilised to support inter-generational learning?
• Is there sufficient time allocated for the development of new skills and knowledge to enable your apprentices to progress beyond their immediate job role and/or to take on higher levels of responsibility?
• If job roles in your organisation are pegged to specific grades, will the apprenticeship enable individuals to progress to higher grades?
• Do managers within the organisation understand the purpose of apprenticeship for older employees and the implications for the type and amount of productive work they are expected to perform?
• What do you want the apprenticeship to achieve that is over and above and different from your standard workforce development activities?
• Do the mandatory English and maths requirements of the government-supported apprenticeship provide a vehicle for identifying latent potential in your workforce and a means for motivating older workers who have been reluctant to engage with training for upskilling and/or retraining purposes?
You can read the full report here
