Apprenticeship Training Providers - Sales over Quality!
So, this week is national apprenticeship week, an opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate such a fantastic initiative for adults, young and old.
Apprenticeships are a genuinely fantastic initiative when structured and delivered correctly; however, my concern is so many training providers don't fully grasp the concept and all-round expectations of what an apprenticeship has truly been designed for, and most importantly, the objectives of such programmes
I started my apprenticeship journey as a young soccer assistant back in 1997. my employer at the time asked me whether I would be interested in gaining a qualification Whilst I worked. I have always had an open mindset to learning, not knowing it then as a young 17-year-old focusing on being a professional footballer. Still, I knew that I needed to have a backup plan should my goals not work out, so the apprenticeship seemed like a no brainer.
I was appointed a fantastic and inspiring tutor who supported and worked with me alongside my line manager to provide me with additional opportunities and learning that helped my development and the commercial development of the organisation I was working for. There was no mention of pay increases or incentive payments to the employer. It was a LEARNING programme to support my employer and me and get the best for both parties!
Twenty-four years on, I am an apprentice again! And I am fortunate to have again several tutors who fully understand the apprenticeship programme's true essence. As a higher-level apprentice currently studying my level 7 in leadership and management, the focus remains the same – I learn more, the employer invests and gains more—a match made in heaven.
During my career, I have been fortunate enough to carry out numerous roles within the apprenticeship world, and my journey goes from the learner to tutor, IQA, EQA, Quality Director. Now, as I operate as a consultant, my concern is that the focus of apprenticeships from training providers is driven by the £s, rather than the experiences of the learner and the advantages this provides to the employer, as highlighted above.
After carrying out a quick google search this morning, it wasn't difficult to find the following quotes:
"Claim up to £4k as an incentive from the Government for hiring an Apprentice."
"We can help you make use of government funding to invest in the future of your business."
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"Take advantage of the government incentives scheme and hire an apprentice."
These quotes are from training providers advertising apprenticeships, usually accompanied with the following terms: Easy, Simple! – what message does this give an employer? And here lies my concern!!!
Training providers are unethically promoting apprenticeships that encourage employers to take advantage of the incentive scheme – get an apprentice and receive £4k!!! For me, this approach needs to stop. I have witnessed so many programmes FAIL and, most importantly, waste the learners' time as the learner has been signed onto an apprenticeship for the wrong and unethical reasons.
National Apprenticeship week should be raising awareness of good providers, good employers, and good learners. I would hazard to guess that the best employers out there are the ones that focus on the learner and career first and not the incentives!
So what is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a real job within the accompanying assessment and skills development programme. It is a way for individuals to earn while they learn, gaining valuable skills and knowledge in a specific job role. The apprentice gains this through a broad mix of learning in the workplace, formal off-the-job training and the opportunity to practise new skills in a natural work environment. Apprenticeships benefit employers and individuals, and by boosting the skills of the workforce, they help to improve economic productivity.
The above statement was taken from the following.gov site LINK, and this is the sort of language providers should be used when advertising apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are not EASY, so again PROVIDERS – STOP using this language.
If you are a provider of apprenticeships, then my ask on National Apprenticeship Week is to review how you market and advertise. How do you ethically do this and ensure you are supporting employers with the correct information and the TRUE objectives. If you are an employer looking for an apprentice and provider, my advice would be if you see this type of poor practice, then avoid it like the plague.
I enjoy my role in supporting ethical apprenticeship providers to deliver high quality and ethical apprenticeship programmes. If you ever need the advice of support, then please get in touch, and I would be happy to help
Andy.heald@icloud.com
Founder of an Ofsted Outstanding Training Provider, specialising in innovative learning solutions and enhancing learner success through cutting-edge educational strategies
2yUnfortunately Andy, the message gets lost. ‘Use it or lose it’ example of an apprenticeship marketing levy line. Incentives are great, if used correctly and we take time to inform and advice our employers on what to invest this in. NI payments and onboarding costs can sometimes be the difference between an employer offering an affordable role in their business