What pre-apprenticeship provision should look like

Introduction

Following consultation with its 540 members, ALP has produced this short paper which proposes that Government funding for skills development (pre-higher education) should be concentrated on preparing people of all ages and abilities to progress onto and through the Apprenticeship ladder, leading to sustainable employment.

Government funding, which will include contributions from DWP, SFA and YPLA, should go primarily to training providers – of all types – capable of high quality delivery. Funds dispensed by the Skills Funding Agency will be via the recently announced single line budget which must be made available to all approved training organisations. These will include colleges, private and third sector providers, and of course employers themselves.

Background

As Apprenticeships at level 2 and level 3 have developed, consolidated and expanded over recent years the need to address the confusion of vocational training, both outside of and in advance of Apprenticeships, has strengthened. Increased clarity is now vital in the face of a financial climate now demanding a much greater focus on priority, cost-effective investment of public funds, which must be designed to underpin the attainment of sustainable employment outcomes.

The e2e programme, whilst immensely successful at preventing often vulnerable young people from entering the NEET group, has not proved to be the pre-Apprenticeship programme many had hoped for. Similarly, a plethora of well intentioned, off the job courses delivered primarily in colleges of Further Education have not filled this hole, as all too often the learning gained has not been immediately acceptable to and usable by employers. Whilst elements of Apprenticeship frameworks have been undertaken, this learning has not been formally accredited as such at the time, leading to expensive duplication if and when a full Apprenticeship programme is accessed.

There has also been much confusion about 'programme led Apprenticeships' (PLAs), leading rather bizarrely to some high quality, employer-led offerings becoming disqualified having been wrongly associated the many non-employer- linked, so called PLAs, invariably run 'as off the job', free-standing courses in colleges.

With the enhanced Government commitment to expanding Apprenticeships and the determination to place them at the heart of skills development for young and older learners alike, now is the time to design a flexible range of offerings focused on developing realistic progression opportunities onto full Apprenticeship programmes as soon as a sponsoring employer can be found.

What constitutes an Apprenticeship?

Before considering a pre-Apprenticeship programme it is necessary to fully understand those elements that are, and must be, retained within any full Apprenticeship programme. Only then will it be possible to describe a valuable progression route which is properly positioned and can accurately be entitled 'pre-Apprenticeship'.

The ALP position has always been quite clear on this. An Apprenticeship at whatever level (2, 3 or higher) has to be employed, ie the Apprentice works for an employer and is in receipt of a wage. Furthermore, the Apprenticeship should follow a fully approved, employer designed 'framework'.

All Apprenticeship frameworks comprise a variety of 'elements' separated into three main categories. These are:

• Competence based elements normally assessed at the workplace.
• Accredited knowledge based elements often referred to as technical certificates.
• Basic skills/functional skills (often embedded elsewhere).

If we position Apprenticeships as the core element and ultimate objective of all (Government funded) skills and employability training, then Government should only fund those elements that are found within full Apprenticeship frameworks or clearly prepare people for those elements, eg via Foundation Learning.

ALP therefore proposes that, prior to full Apprenticeship, Government funds should (only) be available to fund those parts of any employer designed approved Apprenticeship framework that can be started before the learner is employed or those activities that directly prepare learners to access and achieve those parts; ie any elements of a framework that are not dependent on the learner being in employment, eg knowledge based units, functional skills/key skills, employability rights and responsibilities, the personal learning and thinking skills, etc, etc.

In other words, all Government funding should be focused on preparing people to access an Apprenticeship (at any level) and so attain sustainable employment (as well, of course, as funding full Apprenticeships themselves).

This should include a flexible range of focused 'pre-Apprenticeship' programmes specifically designed to move people directly on to full Apprenticeships. Several such programmes currently exist (eg the Access to Apprenticeship programme run in Greater Merseyside) and it is vital that providers (of all types) able to develop and deliver these should be able to access the funding to do so. To do this the fully integrate single line ALR/ER budget must be available to all providers with the expertise and capability needed. This new Apprenticeship focused approach would therefore include:

• Activities currently covered by 'young Apprenticeships' (age 14-16).
• Appropriate elements of diplomas (age 14+).
• Off the job vocational courses provided by colleges and other training organisations (all age).
• Elements of e2e (16-18) and Foundation Learning (all age).
• Programme led Apprenticeships, undertaken with employers prior to ultimate employment (all age).
• Basic, employability and skills training under DWP's Work Programme (currently 18+) and service academies initiative.
• Specific 'pre-Apprenticeship' programmes (see above).

Under this proposal, from the age of 14 upwards everyone entitled to Government funded vocational training should be engaged on a programme as outlined above which would give them the opportunity to start building up the various elements/units that comprise a full Apprenticeship framework, but also have their achievements properly accredited, prior to completing a full Apprenticeship with an employer. In simple terms, the elements funded under such routes would not need to be repeated nor funded again when a full employed Apprenticeship is secured.

Conclusion

Pre-Apprenticeship programmes might be developed as a closely defined programme, but they should sit within a flexible approach that enables all learners (not just young people) to develop those elements of a full Apprenticeship programme that do not need to be undertaken in or at work. Attainment of elements in this way would maximise their opportunity to progress into a full employed Apprenticeship at the appropriate level, taking fully into consideration all learning already undertaken. This would leave the Apprenticeship brand free to reflect the fact that Apprenticeships are real jobs with real employers. Much current duplication of Government funding would be removed, with all vocational training being focused onto the development of Apprenticeships. Pre-Apprenticeship activity would be appropriate to individuals operating from pre-level 2, right through to levels 4/5, with progress onto, and completion of, a full Apprenticeship only when employment has been confirmed.

Graham Hoyle, Chief Executive

28th September 2010