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In this blogpost, Erica demystifies the terminology, examines the expectations on workforces and offers a fresh approach to help you utilise apprenticeships and make a difference to your trainers, learners and ultimately your bottom line.
Apprenticeships: demystifying the terminology
Chairing the customer service trailblazer group was one of the experiences I am most grateful for in my career, as it gave me the opportunity to influence the adult skills agenda in the UK, and more importantly implement life changing apprenticeship programmes in British Gas and Virgin.
During this time, I was also determined to demonstrate to anyone I could, that all an apprenticeship really is, is a well-structured learning programme*. And this is the terminology I would use with stakeholders which seemed to go down well, particularly with those who seemed cynical of apprenticeships (usually due to the complexity of the historic frameworks – I was in this camp too prior to the exposure with standards).
*Yes, I know that the ESFA funding rules specifies that an apprenticeship is ‘a job with learning’ (P19) however we all know that the focus and funding is related to the learning which is mandated in the standard, and for the purpose of this blog we shall focus on the learning curriculum.
Organisations are constantly in competition for their workforce, which is requiring us to become neurologically agile, flexible, creative and technologically able. However, in response, we are demanding better learning opportunities, which are available where, when and how we chose to consume them.
Particularly the next generation entering the workforce – Gen Z. ‘As working environments become more complex and greater agility is needed to ensure capability among employees, it’s more important than ever to consider the breadth of different learning methods available.’ (CIPD, January 2019, Learning Methods).
Therefore, it’s no wonder that OFSTED are starting to think differently when it comes to inspection (and some would argue that it’s a little late); ‘We will review and monitor whether the training you provide represents good value for money.’ (P9, ESFA Apprenticeship rules for main providers August 2019 – July 2020).
It’s safe to say that the usual, run of the mill training plan with instructor led workshops walking through a PowerPoint, coupled with a regular one to one between trainer / coach and learner just isn’t going to cut it anymore. The Education Inspection Framework (May 2019) now enables OFSTED to become focused on not just the quality of education but the best practice in learning, teaching, and training, using methods which are individualised and relevant for learners.
Therefore, we must give our teams the support and development to do this. It was Einstein who said, ‘everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid!’.
Reading some of the more recent and favourable monitoring reports, OFSTED are praising the strategy which sits behind the curriculum, including use of expertise and the blend of learning materials, and citing it as one of the most important items which positively impacts the learner.
And what’s more, if you are using subcontractors to deliver apprenticeships, the ESFA say that you need to make sure they are doing this too; ‘You carry overall responsibility for the quality of apprenticeship training and on programme assessment undertaken by your delivery subcontractors’. P182
Inspectors will now make graded judgements on the following areas using the new four-point scale; 1. quality of education 2. behaviour and attitudes 3. personal development 4. leadership and management and will be looking for all learners to receive a ‘high quality, ambitious education’ (EIF May 2019 P15).
It’s therefore worth asking your governing board these questions; –
From speaking to numerous providers, I’m constantly surprised by the number who haven’t done anything about this, or at most tweaked the Self Assessment Report thinking that this will meet the need. We know from the 3 I’s (Intent, Implementation, Impact) that to deliver the best learner experience and stay ahead of the competition, providers need to ‘re-strategise’ and utilise new thinking and learning expertise to do this. It’s not just a case of adding an Impact column and crossing your fingers.
There are several ways to freshen up your thinking and gain new ideas, and one of the best is engaging with, and learning from, someone who has done it well in a commercial environment where the results really do matter. It’s not the case of just recycling what has always been done under a different banner. I saw this first-hand in some of the trailblazer groups, particularly with some of the more established awarding organisations, who really struggled to move their mindsets from assessment and qualifications to learning and business results.
Having a blended approach in your curriculum can also open new avenues and thinking and can directly affect your bottom line by reducing delivery costs, plus saving on large amounts of printing and materials. We all are aware that funding is continually eroded with the requirement to evidence and sometimes exempt prior learning, alongside the reduction of some funding caps, so it’s a win win if you can really make a shift change.
If you do want to explore additional support around apprenticeships, take a look at our Apprenticeship Support service.
Going back to our Gen Z learners as mentioned earlier, this will be a minimum demand (‘what I want, when I want it’).
Here are two examples which are increasingly used in commercial learning functions (but often needing a specialist to initially set up);
This works particularly well in my experience when it’s imperative that the learner is clear on key messages (and will likely need to regularly revisit them) such the End Point Assessment Specification, British Values, Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity, Prevent etc. Is also allows you to be flexible with sequencing, tailoring per learner and is great evidence for when OFSTED comes to visit.
Both allow delivery of bite sized learning to be built up into larger concepts and embedded skills. Although there maybe initial set up costs, ongoing licensing is relatively low, and you will quickly see a shift in engaging and timeliness from your learner population.
The time to keep doing what you’ve always done is over and approaching learning in a best practice way is what the EIF now demands. We must finally close the gulf between apprenticeships and commercial learning as they are becoming one and the same. The levy has driven commercial learning functions to deliver best in class development and talent programmes, embedding apprenticeships into the workforce planning and organisational development strategies, and providers must see these moves as new opportunities for partnership and success.
Engaging with learning specialists and those who have done this well will pay dividends and implementing low cost learning technology can make huge differences to your trainers, learners and ultimately your bottom line.
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