1. Understanding Apprenticeships

2. Apprenticeships There are two types of apprenticeships New staff
Existing workers
With either type people are employed it’s not just a training programme or course but there must be an apprenticeship available
Under the current policy there are two types of apprentices.
New Staff
The first type is one that you would traditionally recognise as an apprenticeship. A new (usually, but not, exclusively young) member of staff would train on the job to learn that job and ultimately become qualified. It may or may not also include release to attend training externally (one day a week, once a month etc.).
Existing workers
The second type is aimed at existing workers who will be learning some new skills within their normal role; again it may or may not also include release to attend training externally. So whilst it might not seem like an apprentice in the traditional sense, you should think of this type of apprenticeship as a mechanism for receiving training and having your abilities and understanding recognised through qualifications for the job that you are doing.
However it can only be an apprenticeship if there is an apprenticeship framework or standard available. e.g. even if you wanted to take on an apprentice you cannot do an apprenticeship in Physiotherapy as there is currently no apprenticeship available

3. Apprenticeship delivery
Employer
Training Provider
This just emphasises that you need all three constituent parts to be in place to have an apprenticeship regardless of whether it is a framework or standard. The apprentice must be employed so you need an employer and someone has to deliver the actual apprenticeship so you need a training provider
Apprentice

4. Apprenticeships are changing
From frameworks to standards
Apprenticeship Levy introduced
Greater employer involvement and opportunities
Higher levels of apprenticeships available
From frameworks to standards
We are moving from apprenticeship frameworks to apprenticeship standards but are currently in a transitional process so either are available depending on what stage the new developments are at. Frameworks were based on national occupational standards with variable amounts of input from employers. Standards are based on employer led and developed standards. The apprenticeship standards are much simpler
Apprenticeship standards are solely linked to occupational roles not qualifications and the levels are determined accordingly. * to find out more about apprenticeship standard development there is another workshop looking at this*
Apprenticeship Levy introduced
From April 2017 – 0.5% of the annual payroll over the threshold of £3m annually will be taken on a monthly basis. This money will go into a digital account that can only be used to pay for apprenticeship training. Currently if unspent after 18 months the money will go back to the government.
* There is a separate workshop for employees from smaller employers that will not be covered by the levy e.g. GP Practices, community health, voluntary sector*
Greater employer involvement and opportunities
Employers will have the purchasing power when it comes to paying for apprenticeship training. Previously the government contracted training providers to deliver apprenticeships but in the future employers will contract the training providers. Recognising that some employers deliver fantastic training courses it will be easier for employers to deliver apprenticeships to their own staff in the future rather than using an external training provider contracted by the government
Higher levels of apprenticeships available
Previously only levels 2 and 3 apprenticeships were available now apprenticeships are available at a higher level as the new standards for the Nursing degree apprenticeships show

5. Eligibility rules for apprentices
The apprentice must be employed and work at least 30 hours per week
Age apprenticeship training is fully funded at 50%
but under the standards funding is age agnostic
The apprentice must not have any qualifications higher than Level 3 (equivalent of A-Levels) under the frameworks
but the proposal is that prior qualification will be no
barrier under the standards
The apprenticeship training programme should last a minimum of 12 months
The apprentice must be employed and work at least 30 hours per week
This must include training time – apprenticeships must be paid their salary when they are in training
Age apprenticeship training is fully funded and 19+ at 50% but under the standards funding is age agnostic
This will apply for this academic year but next year will see transitional payments for apprenticeship frameworks that equal it out more. Once someone has started on their apprentice the funding will be honoured for the length of that apprenticeship on whatever funding they started on
The apprentice must not have any qualifications higher than Level 3 (equivalent of A-Levels) under the frameworks but the proposal is that prior qualification will be no barrier under the standards
Under frameworks an apprentice couldn’t have any qualification over A-levels otherwise they were ineligible to undertake an apprenticeship. It has been proposed that this eligibility be removed so that someone with any level of qualification can undertake an apprenticeship providing their previous qualification wasn’t a replica of subject matter of the apprenticeship they were undertaking
The apprenticeship training programme should last a minimum of 12 months
Whilst this is the minimum it shouldn’t be read that all apprenticeship are for 12 months – fundamentally the length of time should be determined by the skills and knowledge of the apprentice when starting the apprenticeship but 12 months is the absolute minimum

6. Apprenticeships are changing
Old World
New World
Frameworks
Competence Quals
Knowledge Quals
English
Maths
ERR
PLTS
Standards
On programme training and assessment
English
Maths
Assessment gateway
End point assessment
Graded result
Frameworks:
Frameworks consist of a cluster of pre-determined qualifications. Once these qualifications are achieved the apprenticeship is complete. They tend to consist of a competence based qualification based on what they will need to be able to do and another qualification based on what they will need to know (Knowledge qualification). On occasions these are brought together under one qualification and called a combined qualification. There is a requirement to achieve English and maths functional skills if they haven’t already achieved GCSE or O-Level English and maths. Some frameworks also insist on ICT functional skills. There is also an Employee Rights and Responsibilities (this is usually in the form of a workbook) and Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (these are already embedded in the qualifications). To deliver apprenticeship frameworks a training provider would have to deliver all the components as they are funded as a whole
Standards:
Whilst being called standards once the actual standards have been developed the employers have to develop an assessment plan i.e. how these standards can be delivered. This is much less prescriptive in that they will not stipulate a qualification that has to be achieved – in fact you have to make a strong business case to include a qualification because by having an end point assessment that will generate the apprenticeship qualification. The assessment plans include the on programme training and assessment (and these are not prescriptive). English and maths is the same requirement as within the frameworks but for standards they are funded separately and therefore do not have to be delivered by the same training provider. There will be some kind of assessment gateway and this will differ from standard to standard but effectively it is when the apprentice is ready for the end point assessment. If there is a qualification within the apprenticeship then the achievement of this will be the assessment gateway. Finally there will be an independent end point assessment that grades the result (pass, merit, distinction). It is independent in that it must be by an approved assessment organisation and cannot be the organisation that delivered the training.
Previously it has been difficult for employers to deliver apprenticeships because they were not approved to deliver qualifications and were often unable to deliver English and maths. Under the apprenticeship standards there may well not be a qualification, the end point assessment has to be independent and English and maths can be funded and therefore delivered separately. This all creates a climate that makes it easier for employers to deliver apprenticeships
* To find out more about delivering apprenticeships yourselves then you can attend the workshop that is running*

7. Occupational Areas Standards Clinical healthcare support level 2 and 3
Assistant healthcare practitioner level 5
Nursing degree level 6 – out for consultation
Healthcare science assistant (level 2) and associate (level 4)
Healthcare science practitioners/biomedical scientists (level 6)
In Development
Ophthalmic technician, pharmacy services assistant and senior pharmacy services assistant
AHP Level 3 - EOIs
No need to go into too much detail here other than to say that none are yet ready for delivery as assessment organisations that deliver the end point assessments have not been approved.
I have divided the standards section by possible career pathways so it is worth highlighting the possibility of an on-the-job route to becoming a nurse.
It is worth pointing out the time it takes to develop standards ready for delivery – at least 18 months – so the ones in development are a long way off and this is probably the same with nurse associate.
The final thing worth pointing out with this slide and the next is just how much is missing
*If they want to know about standards development and ow to get involved then they should attend the workshop on it*

8. Occupational Areas
Shortlist for development from HEE England for Bands 1-4
GP Assistant
Public Health
Business Administration and Finance
“Blue Light”
Pathology Support
Learning Disability Support
Health Informatics/Clinical Coding
Reflect on how much there is still to be developed and advise any interested parties to attend the standard development workshop

9. Why take on an apprentice?
You can instill your values, behaviours and working practices from day one
You will gain a different aspect on your service from the viewpoint of a young person
It is a cost effective way of recruiting your entry level roles
Apprentices tend to be loyal to the organisation that invested in them
Often a new young work colleague will help other staff ‘up their game’
They are often digital natives so can actually teach other staff things
You can instil your values, behaviours and working practices from day one – you will not be unpicking bad habits
Often taking on a young person on an apprenticeship you will gain a different aspect on your service from the viewpoint of a young person who form part of the community that you serve
It is a cost effective way of recruiting your entry levels roles – training providers will administer a lot of the recruitment processes on your behalf and quite often apprentices are treated as trainees with regards salaries whilst they are learning on the job. You can also use the apprenticeship to set them on a pathway to meet the needs of having a skilled workforce
Apprentices tend to be loyal to the organisation that invested in them and this in turn can result in reduced staff turnover and improved staff retention through career progression.
Often a new young work colleague will help other staff ‘up their game’ as they want to show the apprentice the best ways to do things (which they might had even stopped doing themselves). The dynamics of having a young person often brings out the natural teaching instincts of others
Depending on the role younger people are often digital natives so can actually teach other staff things

10. Why train existing staff as apprentices?
Provide opportunities resulting in increased flexibility of the workforce
They receive accreditation and validation for the job that they may have been doing
They feel invested in
They will bring new skills and knowledge into the workplace and cascade them to other staff
It is a cost effective way of training staff
Provide opportunities and recognition for all support staff (clinical and non-clinical) including the development of transferable skills, resulting in increased flexibility of the workforce
They receive accreditation and validation for the job that they have been doing – which motivates staff
They feel invested in, which motivates staff
They will bring new skills and knowledge into the workplace and cascade them to other staff – as more experienced staff they will have the confidence to do this
It is a cost effective way of training staff as funding exists to allow apprenticeships to often be delivered at no or low cash cost to the employer.
*How much it will cost for non-levy paying employers will be explored in the workshop ‘apprenticeships for SMEs’*
For levy paying employers this is a mechanism for CPD and developing career pathways through training
This perfectly suits the current recruitment of healthcare support workers/Healthcare Assistants (HCSW/HCA) as many of them in primary care come from roles within the practice already (e.g. Receptionists, Administrators). Funded training via apprenticeships makes it very cost effective. It will give the practice qualified staff and as a result this will potentially free up time for the GP in the process and create additional income generation under the quality outcome framework (QOF) and out of hospital contracts as HCAs can carry out some of those tasks under supervision.

11. Levy Apprenticeship Delivery
Digital Apprenticeship Service £s
Apprenticeship Vacancies
HMRC
Skills Funding
Agency (SFA)
Advertise
apprenticeships
£s via
PAYE
ApprovedTraining Provider
Agree price
Employer
Assessment Organisation
Training,
on-going assessment,
reviewing progress
This is the process for levy paying employers but will be very similar for smaller organisations
*to understand the process for smaller non-levy paying organisations please attend the workshop apprenticeships for SMEs*
The employer pays the levy into the HMRC on a monthly basis via their payroll
This money is transferred on a monthly basis to the employers digital apprenticeship service account
Once the employer wants to take on an apprentice they will agree a price with an approved training provider
If it is a new recruit then the training provider will advertise for that vacancy through the apprenticeships vacancy system (and NHS Jobs if necessary) if not then they just start the training
Once training has started the training provider will draw down the funding from the digital apprenticeship service on a monthly basis. There will need to be a service level agreement or contract between the employer and the training provider and the employer will have the right to cease payment if the delivery does not meet their standards
The apprenticeship training provider delivers the training, assessments and progress reviews * to find out more about delivering apprenticeships yourselves attend this workshop*
Once the qualification has been achieved or if there is no qualification, when the apprentice is ready, the end point assessment will take place
The end point assessment is undertaken by an independent assessor from an approved awarding organisation. It is very likely that these awarding organisations will be the usual organisations like City & Guilds, Pearsons/Edexcel, Future Quals, CACHE etc. There is a fee for the end point assessment that the training provider will pay that is part of the funding
If end point assessment is successful then the apprentice would have achieved the apprenticeship
End point assessment
Apprentice

12. In smaller groups discuss…
Based on what you have heard so far today what would you envisage being the barriers to using apprenticeships?
If possible can we capture headline barriers – or ones we might not have heard before

13. Any questions?