Staff Apprenticeships

Offering an apprenticeship to your existing staff is an accessible and cost-effective way to enhance the knowledge, skill set, and competency of your team. Have you considered the skills that your team/department will need in the next two years, five years and beyond? Or maybe you have identified a team member who would make a good leader or manager in the future but needs some training first?

Many apprenticeships will come about because of a discussion between a manager and an individual during an annual Achievement and Development Review (ADR), but the process can begin at any time.

In advance of approving a Staff Apprenticeship request

It is important to consider:

• Is this the right development opportunity for the staff member? What would the apprentice gain from completing this programme? And do they have a clear sense of what they want to achieve, both personally and professionally?
• Does the apprenticeship programme align with the individual’s job role, and does the skill set align with organisational or departmental objectives?
• What level of commitment would be required for the staff member to complete the apprenticeship programme, and is it sustainable?

Managers should check the commitment required to complete the program ensuring there are no major life events planned for the duration of the programme, such as a house move, or wedding.

An apprenticeship is a big commitment and requires input – it is not a quick win, especially at the higher levels. Managers should always consider the impact on any SLAs (Service Level Agreement) and other team members, especially if the department has peak work times with deadlines to meet.

Key points

• For individuals on fixed-term contracts, the contract must cover the apprenticeship duration, including the end-point assessment.
• Current staff stay on the same salary and contract of employment and all the training and assessment costs associated with the apprenticeship will be met by the apprenticeship levy. There is no cost to the department or apprentice. However, some training providers may charge for exam re-sits, and occasionally books but this will be communicated prior to the programme starting.
• Both the manager and apprentice will need to consider the effect on existing workloads and agree to any changes necessary to facilitate the programme in advance of the start date.
• The sign-up process can take 4-5 months to draw down the funding.

Supporting your staff member through an apprenticeship

The most successful apprentices have managers who are engaged and actively encourage and support their apprenticeship. A quick regular update for the apprentice to explain what they are working on allows managers to make suggestions for additional learning opportunities but most of all it demonstrates the apprentice is supported. Most apprentices will be allocated an online portfolio and training providers can provide managers with a login too. Please request yours so that you can monitor the staff member's progress and engage with the programme.

Ask to meet with the training provider tutor/coach and request an overview of the program with the criteria the apprentice will work through. Plan how to provide exposure and opportunities for the apprentice to practice the theory they are learning. The apprentice could initially start by shadowing another colleague to see how a task is completed and then progress to practicing those tasks until they are fully competent, thus allowing theory to be embedded.

Some apprenticeships require the apprentice to complete a work-based project. This might mean engaging with other stakeholders within the University and is an ideal opportunity to complete a project that is useful to the organisation whilst also allowing the apprentice to practice and learn new skills. It if it becomes necessary to ask other colleagues to provide learning opportunities, obtain buy-in and agreement as soon as you can and be mindful of their workloads too. This is important because the project is often part of the end-point assessment and therefore crucial to the success of the apprenticeship.

The manager's involvement should include:

• Giving apprentices a clear outline of expectations and a safe supportive environment to learn and develop.
• Encouraging them from the start to own and drive their learning targets and to seek regular feedback to self-assess their performance.
• Providing apprentices with the work experience needed to develop the skills and knowledge included in their apprenticeship.
• Allowing time for their 20% applied learning.
• Supporting the completion of relevant projects and portfolio evidence.
• Meeting with them regularly to provide feedback and review progress.
• Being approachable and understanding.
• Liaising regularly with the training provider.
• Putting a workplace mentor in place to further support the apprentice.

Progress reviews

All training providers should conduct progress reviews during the apprenticeship program – most complete these reviews every 10 to 12 weeks so please schedule these dates in your diary. The apprentice manager (or mentor) should be available to meet with the apprentice and their tutor/coach as reviews are an ideal opportunity to check on progress made and to keep on top of any problems or issues so that solutions can be found. Manager/mentor attendance at these meetings demonstrates support to the apprentice and the training provider.

During the review, the tutor/coach will often check health and safety and safeguarding, as these are a requirement of the funding from the ESFA to ensure the safety of all apprentices on the programme.