1. WHAT’S NEW IN APPRENTICESHIPS & TRAINEESHIPS?
Steve Jenkins NAS/SFA

2. Apprenticeship Successes
In 2013/14 over 440,000 people started an Apprenticeship in England
2 Millionth Apprentice in this Parliament celebrated in DEC 2014
The success rate for achieving the framework is currently 76.4%.
The programme is going from strength to strength…with more employers engaging daily with Apprenticeships. 250,000 EMPLOYERS IN 13/14
Employer grant of £1,500 available to support SME’s to employ 16 to 24 year old Apprentices
NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK
NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS
THE SKILLS SHOW

3. What is an Apprenticeship?
Apprentices are employed from day 1, and hold a contract of employment!
It is a REAL job with training!
Off the job training for nationally recognised Qualifications such as NVQs, Technical Certificates & Key/Functional Skills.
All apprenticeships minimum of 12 months. Many apprenticeships last much longer, e.g. Engineering is normally 3 to 4 years
There is a minimum of 30 hours per week for apprenticeships
Entry requirements vary; some require 5 GCSEs A*-C and some don’t
Other considerations – motivation, potential, maturity, reliability, eagerness, punctuality, ability to learn, determination
But if the employer offers less hours the total duration of the apprenticeship has to extend to take account for the reduction in working week.
Learners who cannot undertake 30 hours per week, for example due to caring responsibilities, returning to the workforce, etc., can do reduced hours, but it has to be a minimum of 16 per week, including study time.

4. Why Consider Becoming an Apprentice?
Earn a salary: Average Salaries vary according to Level and Sector
Starting salaries can be low, but apprenticeships open doors for career progression with employers
Choose from over 170 industries and over 1700 job roles
Can progress into university, or up the career ladder
9 out of 10 completed apprentices are in work or education after completing their Apprenticeship

5. Level of Apprenticeships
Different levels of Apprenticeship available
Intermediate
Apprenticeship
Advanced
Higher
Level 2
12-18 months
Equivalent to 5 GCSEs A* - C
Level 3
18-48 months
Equivalent to 2 A-levels
Levels 4,5,6,7
24 months+
Equivalent to foundation degree level +
Plus knowledge, competence, and employability skills

6. Vacancies by Sector Subject Area Aug 2013 to July 2014

7. Candidate Applications 2013/14
16-18
943,020
19-24
670,849
25+
124,220
Under 16
81,747
1,819,836

8. Apprenticeships.gov.uk
Apprenticeships.org.uk now Apprenticeships.gov.uk

9. Apprenticeships online content
Apprenticeship content now on direct.gov, as part of the government digital reforms.
National Apprenticeship Service

10. Find an Apprenticeship
Benefits of the new service include:-
Designed for mobile & enhanced keyword and location search
Clearer view of the apprenticeship vacancy description
Easier registration process
User friendly application form
Clearer guidance for completing the strengths and skills section
Applications dashboard for candidates to easily track applications
Candidates using Av for the first time will be directed to the new Find an apprenticeship service.
2 systems will run in parallel until March 2015
National Apprenticeship Service

11. Find an apprenticeship How to Apply!
National Apprenticeship Service

13. Find an apprenticeship Manage Your Applications

14. What is a Traineeship?
An Education and Training programme to engage young people aged between to prepare them for work/apprenticeship by:-
Providing work preparation training
Providing support with literacy and maths
Giving meaningful work experience
Providing Support with job search and/or progression into further learning
Traineeships advertised on Apprenticeship vacancies/Find an Apprenticeship
Traineeships were launched in August 2013, to address the issues for unemployed young people who are not work ready, by providing an engaging programme of :-
Work preparation training
Support to advance literacy and maths skills
Provide real job experience with a quality employer
Give individuals support in searching and applying for jobs with training and/or progression into further learning
Individuals concerned may have low self esteem, no work experience, poor attitudes to basic skills like time keeping or how to present themselves at interview. The programme looks to address these issues.

15. Traineeship Policy changes
Removal of 16 hour benefit rule
Work placement – consecutive weeks
Learner eligibility change – Level 2 change for 19-24s from January 2015 and all 24 year olds are now eligible
Introduce non regulated work preparation learning for year olds to align with year olds
Minimum standards – providers progressing learners to positive destination
JSA claimants are able to participate in a Traineeship programme for up to 30 hours a week without affecting their JSA entitlement, whether doing work preparation, English and maths, work experience, a combination of these elements or any other training.
This rule applies only to the Traineeship programme.

16. Higher Apprenticeships Vince Cable BiS Secretary of State
“The Government’s ambition is for it to become the norm for young people to achieve their career goals by going into an Apprenticeship or to university to – in the case of some Higher Apprenticeships – doing both.”
Vince Cable
BiS Secretary of State

17. The ‘Highers’ Ambition
Programme ambition for Higher Apprenticeships is:
to increase take-up to 20,000 starts between Aug 2013 to July 2015
to offer higher level vocational routes as a choice on equal parity with an academic only option
to provide simple to access route for employers & employees
to position Apprenticeships (all levels) as a positive choice for young people and adults, and their employers and parent
Additional funding (£60m) has been made available to support Higher Apprenticeships – Level 4, 5, 6 and 7. NOW Released (Sep 2014)

18. New standard Higher Apprenticeships:
There are 49 Frameworks with over 80 different pathways
Level 4: Actuarial Technician, Construction technician, Conveyancing technician, Cyber
intrusion analyst, Dental practice manager, Digital media technology practitioner, Network engineer, Professional accounting technician, Software developer, Software tester, Senior chef: culinary arts
Level 5: Dental Technician
Level 6: Chartered legal executive, Control/Technical support engineer, Electrical/Electronic technical support engineer, Manufacturing engineer, Product design & development engineer, Licensed conveyancer,
Professional accountant, Relationship Manager (Banking)
Level 7: Solicitor
Additional funding (£60m) has been made available to support Higher Apprenticeships – Level 4, 5, 6 and 7. NOW Released (Sep 2014)
In November 2013 Autumn Statement announced additional £40m available to support Level 4 Apprenticeships until July 2015.
In March 2014 a further £20m ring fenced to support HE in Higher Apprenticeships (Level 5 -7) until March 2016
The aim is to enable employer contributions and to replace student loans and bring Higher Apprenticeships in to line with the rest of the Apprenticeships programme.
Single Funding Route for HE/FE for the first time via SFA 18

19. APPRENTICESHIP REFORMS
High quality
Higher expectations of English and Maths, more assessment at end of Apprenticeship and introducing grading.
Simple
Complex frameworks to be replaced by standards of around one page written by employers.
Employer driven
Ensuring rigorous training that will support economic growth
The Reform Programme is set out in The Future of Apprenticeships in England; Implementation Plan, published in October 2013.
The key measures aim to:
Increase the quality of Apprenticeships. An apprentice will need to demonstrate their competence through rigorous and synoptic assessment. This will focus on the end of the Apprenticeship to ensure that the apprentice is ready to progress.
• Put employers in the driving seat. In future, Apprenticeships will be based on standards designed by employers.
• Simplify the system. The new employer-designed standards will be short and easy to understand. They will describe the skills and knowledge that an individual needs to be fully competent in an occupation. 19

20. What changes are we making to Apprenticeships?
Standards designed by employers will replace existing Frameworks
New standards will be clear and concise, written by employers and no more than two pages long
All Apprenticeships will have an end-point assessment
Apprenticeships will be graded for the first time
All Apprenticeships last a minimum of 12 months
The New employer led standards will eventually replace all Frameworks.
The standards will be written by employers and will be clear and concise, often just two pages of A4
All Apprenticeships under the new standards will have an end-point assessment and will be graded. Pass- Merit- Distinction
The requirement for end-point assessment is in response to concerns we have heard from employers that apprentices are able to pass qualifications in current frameworks, but the employer does not judge them to be fully competent. The end-point assessment will therefore have to review the apprentice in the round; it must be holistic and test the full breadth of the relevant competencies.
Synoptic assessment - requiring the apprentice to identify and use effectively, in an integrated way, an appropriate selection of skills, techniques, concepts, theories and knowledge from across their training and the standard. The end-point assessment must look at the apprentice in the round, be holistic and judge whether or not they are ready to transition from apprentice to a fully competent member of staff.
Grading has been introduced to encourage stretch, there must be at least two levels e.g. pass, credit/distinction however some standards have pass, credit and distinction. As a minimum, grading will be applied to the end point assessment. 20

21. Any Questions?
National Apprenticeship Service