Matt Healey Head of Learning and Development Inspiring Learning

“TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH EXPERIENCES THAT INSPIRE”

WE ARE SPECIALISTS Using our knowledge and experience to support our customers, adding value every step of the way. WE THINK DIFFERENTLY Designing and delivering innovative learning experiences. WE DEVELOP Always working with partners and colleagues, to further the potential of young people.

G oal  Improve our overall delivery capability that will give satisfaction to our users (including our apprentices) and grow our ability to deliver to ever more discerning user groups.  Be congruent with our Values  Ensure we have an apprenticeship structure and skill set that will ensure we can support future growth. (International, Youthwork Programmes, NCS, Bushcraft, Adult/CPD trg). (These products which all require a high level of skill and competency).  Directionally position us in advance of the planned changes to apprenticeship scheme in 2017/18

Reality  The apprentice landscape is changing with a number of key factors effecting the future: o A requirement that an apprenticeship must have potential for employment after the scheme has finished with the minimum scheme length not being less than 12 months. o The apprentice pool for us is shrinking. o Anecdotal feedback from within our sector is that in the market place apprenticeship recruitment has seen a challenging year. We ourselves find it difficult to recruit, and the conversion from applying to advert to actually being placed (starting) is less than 40%.

Additional Factors  We are currently uncompetitive in the employment market and a number offer better initial packages and offer progression opportunities  KW has suffered in its approach to apprenticeships due to powerful historical and commercial pressures.  We retain less of our apprentices that we would like and lose a significant number of well-trained Instructors, and other businesses are benefiting from this.  Unless we can retain an increasingly skilled delivery team we will be unable to support the rising expectations for business development and provide the new incomers to our sector with a great start.

Current Delivery Structure We currently have the following structure in all centres (volumes vary by size of centre)  Level 1 Apprentice  Level 2 Apprentice  Level 3 Instructor  Level 4 Instructor  Senior Instructor (SI) The only difference between Level 1 and 2 is that a level 2 has completed their probation period. Apprentices make up a significant part of our learning delivery experience on centre

O ptions Our move away from a delivery structure that is weighted towards apprentices will mean a structure that will be more ‘balanced’ with delivery staff who have over 12 months experience, will be better trained and be able to deliver more progressive programmes than has been the case in the past. As an example our Colomendy Centre near Mold already has a higher mix of senior instructors due to the Environmental Field Studies programmes we deliver. With a large number of very different centres the ability to add progression and complexity from our small centres at KS2 to larger centres with more challenging curricula. This would also give apprentices progression from our smaller centres where they would develop their skills and then move to larger centres as they develop.

Bridging the cost increase The affect of moving to a 75% employed instructor model over a 4 year period assumes the following:  A 12% efficiency improvement in an Apprentice after year one moving to 58% and becoming maintained staff.  A direct reduction in recruitment cost as the need for mass recruitment diminishes.  A conservative 2% improvement in repeat rate due to improved delivery on centre and increased satisfaction, in particular our International and Youth Groups.  We are already seeing the early signs of service delivery improvements with international guests giving positive feedback and agents requesting to work to us… The service profit chain in action!  Direct training costs to train the Apprentices would decrease by £144k!

Other Benefits  Strategy of redeploying our enthusiastic staff to Equity Club ski delivery in winter season.  Reduction in seasonal summer camp staff  A reduction of stretch over peak months - we carry circa contract extensions/freelance  Improved team retention.  Support the offering of all year round employment.  Significantly improve our competiveness in attracting the right talent to Kingswood and being able to support progression.  Allocation of training time will change and be more interesting!

Matt Healey Head of Learning and Development Inspiring Learning Questions?