APPRENTICESHIPS
Case Study: East Berks College
While Apprenticeships
implementation of Functional Skills in “Literacy is one area which our young
September. people can find difficult. In my seven years
are naturally
“It is very intensive, but it focuses their in this job, it’s become apparent to me how
minds. We present it to them that they can do bad an impact text messaging can have.
nine weeks or spread it out bit by bit over 33. “All of the apprentices use mobile phones
vocational, it is crucial
They soon realise that these are skills they and many think nothing of using ‘u’ where
absolutely need to get on in the construction they mean ‘you’ in their normal written
to ensure learners also
industry.” work.
Recently, Ms Kemp began working on new “So not only are we trying to get their
have the Functional
resources in preparation for the introduction literacy up to scratch, but we have to
of Functional Skills, which will have a combat the effects of new technologies on
Skills in order to excel
different emphasis to Key Skills and which their ability to read and write.”
will be very much developed and applied When using Word documents, for
throughout the course. instance, students will use texts related
in the world of work
Ms Kemp continued: “The Key Skills to their industry, such as plumbing and
training we give them is based around the plastering, to make them relevant.
Greater
A
pprentices doing the construction
course at East Berks College get a
I believe the introduction of Functional
bit of a rude awakening when they
first arrive.
Currently, the first nine weeks are spent
Skills is a good thing because it is more
entirely on doing Key Skills – putting
together a portfolio of work, learning how
geared up to relevant skills that learners
to fill in forms, and how to write letters.
In September this year, Key Skills will need for their job
flexibility
be replaced with Functional Skills, which
will take a similar approach.
For young men and women who chose a ‘issue of health and safety. This means we Another literacy exercise will be to
vocational course that involves using their are giving them tasks to do which tie in and apply for the job of a site manager using an
hands, it might seem off-putting to find are relevant to their chosen Apprenticeship, advertisement they see on a noticeboard.
themselves back in the classroom so soon and they cannot get the special permit to This will test their skills at writing letters
after leaving school. go out on site without having successfully to apply for jobs and will teach protocols,
“We have them in college for one day completed Key Skills. such as when to sign off using ‘yours
a week as part of their course, and “At the same time, we use Key Skills as faithfully’ or ‘yours sincerely’.
for the first three months we an opportunity to take them through
’
issues For ICT and mathematics, meanwhile,
get this aspect of their course such as employment rights, work-based she is developing exercises around the use
out of the way,” said Suzie grievances, and working contracts – which of Excel spreadsheets. Apprentices will be
Kemp, a Key Skills they need to understand when they enter the asked, for example, to input information
lecturer who is job.” relating to accidents at a number of
preparing Under Functional Skills, rather than Berkshire colleges and then analyse them.
for the having greater responsibility for their own One task may be to look at why there
learning, as they do now are more incidents at Langley College than
with the gathering and in Windsor. The most likely explanation
presentation of a is that Langley offers more practical and
portfolio, the vocational courses, while Windsor delivers
new style of more academic courses, but students will
learning will have to work this out.
put greater “One thing I have noticed about teaching
onus on staff Key Skills intensively – and it will be the
to deliver good same with Functional Skills – is that many
teaching to give students get focused very quickly and
the learner the deliver their work within a couple of weeks.
skills and lots of “I have had completed work emailed to me
opportunities for very quickly after setting it, which is good
application in real-life as it means apprentices have understood its
settings. importance and are keen to engage with it.
“I am planning to base many “I believe the introduction of Functional
of the resources on our existing Skills is a good thing because it is more
Skills for Life programme,” Ms Kemp geared up to relevant skills that learners
said. need for their job.”
SecEd 5 11
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