AELP reposted this
Head of Early Careers Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Limited Non-Exec Board Director AELP Board Vice Chair Youth Employment UK Fellow 5% Club
On Monday, I had the privilege of attending the APPG on Apprenticeships in person, facilitated by Andrew Paks MP, with Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith in attendance. During her opening speech, she mentioned, "English & Maths, we have listened to the concerns." When it was my turn to ask questions, I inquired if she could elaborate on what "listening to the concerns" meant, given that one can leave school and university without English and Maths. She responded with a smile and a simple "NO," but agreed with my point. The pressing question remains: how much longer must we wait for a resolution on this issue? While I agree that we need to measure progress in English & Maths, this should not be a barrier to completing apprenticeship programmes. Last week, AELP shared findings from their mini commission, and one recommendation stood out to me: "Remove FSQs as an exit requirement for apprenticeships, aligning them with T Levels and A Levels. This change would enable more learners to start and complete apprenticeships. Providers and employers would be less likely to impose entry restrictions, leading to increased participation, achievement, and progression, especially for those with the lowest levels of prior achievement or who may be disadvantaged." The report offers many more insights, which I highly recommend as a starting point for addressing concerns and finding ready-made solutions. Jacqui Smith happy to continue the conversation with you. If you haven't seen the report https://lnkd.in/dSvC8kUk
James Fenton
2d
I totally agree Sharon, conversations on this matter need to speed up as this topic and huge barrier has been going on for too long without any light or hope of resolution
Director of Policy, Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement - City & Guilds
2dI have much sympathy for this approach but feel it needs to be a bit more nuanced to get it over the line. I do agree that an M/E gateway hurdle is having a negative impact on recruitment and completions but don’t agree we should abdicate all responsibility to try and reach attainment where none is going present. Perhaps something like over 35s exempt as it adds very little value and under 35s must still study and attempt one assessment but failure does not bar them from completing apprenticeship unless the employer asks for that