The switchover to Apprenticeships Standards is part of a wider scheme designed to make the training provided more beneficial and relevant to both the trainee and the employer.
Below we have broken down the impact of the switchover and how it could affect you:
Training has been re-evaluated
A key change is that in comparison to the Apprentice Frameworks which were created by industry training standards organisations called sector bodies, and were designed to recognise the completion of a qualification; Apprentice Standards have been designed by employers with the focus now being on developing skills needed for the available job role.
Training is no longer qualification driven
Whereas previously Apprenticeship Frameworks were focussed on achieving a particular qualification, Apprenticeship Standards focus on providing training linked to a job role. As a result, the employer is heavily involved with the planning and eventual progression of the Apprenticeship in order to ensure that the Apprentice undergoing the training will develop the right skills, knowledge and behaviour for the job.
Gateway and Assessment
With the switchover to Apprenticeship Standards, the way that the Apprenticeships are assessed has been completely reworked. Where with a Framework the Apprentice would have been continually assessed by an assessor from the training provider; now Apprentices are required to prove throughout their training that they are developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours for their job role, as well as undertaking a final end point assessment (EPA) which will confirm that they have developed the necessary skills. This will be completed by an external independent organisation. An additional feature that comes with standards is the gateway phase. The Apprentice will enter the gateway phase before their end point assessment but only once the employer and training provider are confident that the Apprentice is ready for the final assessment. The gateway phase is an opportunity for the Apprentice to prepare for the EPA with mock tests and input from their training provider.
Off-the-job training
New to the Apprenticeship Standards, Apprentices must now spend 20% of their working hours undergoing off-the-job training. This is time dedicated to learning new skills to improve their working practice, similar to CPD. This off-the-job training could take the form of work-shadowing, webinars, workshops or self-directed learning and is designed to create well round workers with relevant skill sets.
If you think that your organisation could benefit from an Apprentice, we are able to facilitate the recruitment and training processes from start to finish.
To get in touch please email employer@sheffcol.ac.uk
