commentary
Almost all the nominees were from big firms which presumably have strong human resource departments. The only nominees from small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were from care homes, and the only voluntary-sector nominees were from the YMCA. Public services seemed to be at the forefront of helping women into traditionally male-dominated jobs. Most striking was how all the nominees talked of how well they’d been supported by their employer, their college and their training provider. A common theme was the desire for a fresh start or a second chance. A depressing number of younger apprentices had been told by their school, quite bluntly, that they would never get on. Despite this, and without the help of their school, they had managed to get onto an apprenticeship. Many of the older adults wanted a change in their life – overcoming loss or illness, determined to make good, climbing the ladder. We were concerned to hear from some of the nominees that it hadn’t been easy to get an apprenticeship, that there was a lack of marketing and the advice and guidance to go with it, that schools didn’t recognise it as a valid career path. Once engaged in an apprenticeship, they found that learning on the job was preferable to classroom learning. ‘Learn and earn’ was important, although adult apprentice wages were difficult for people with family commitments. For me, the most moving parts of their stories concerned how success had bred success, and what this had meant for their life outside work: their sense of self-confidence and self- esteem; the impact on their families; and their engagement with community activity:
Since commencing my apprenticeship I am now much more confident. My home life is also very good. I can buy things for my son. My parents are also happy and proud of my achievements and they feel they have their son back. In fact, life is fantastic!
The apprenticeship has transformed my life because I am now more outgoing and I know what I want to do with my future.
I feel that, as a middle-aged woman, what I have achieved is remarkable. My journey has not finished – it has only just begun.
This will change my family’s life because I am now working towards building a career instead of just doing dead-end jobs, so I can provide for
my daughter and girlfriend.
I was lucky enough to be taken on as an apprentice scaffolder. I am so sorted now, feeling much more positive about myself, and my family are more relaxed around me and are proud of me.
Apprenticeships are deeply embedded in our cultural heritage, as one route within a vocational education and training strategy which values learning. This government is committed to an expansion of apprenticeship numbers, and to an expansion of the number of frameworks and levels. It is also committed to increasing the number of employers offering apprenticeships, supporting SMEs, for example, to be able to offer apprenticeship schemes. However, a recent report by Pearson showed that some 80 per cent of employers surveyed would not consider taking on an apprentice. Certainly, our employer breakfast meetings revealed a serious amount of discontent with apprenticeship schemes, including concerns about a lack of useful information, ‘red tape’, and the role of the ‘broker’. As we move into this second stage of growth of the apprenticeship strategy we need to look at these issues more closely. We suggest this could be addressed by listening to the voices of the apprentices themselves, and the voices of those employers not yet ‘sold’ on apprenticeships. What the interviews with the nominated apprentices show is that learning transforms lives. I look at these apprentices and think that, at a time of mass unemployment, they’re the lucky ones. We still have an education system that systematically fails far too many young people and makes them think that learning isn’t for them, a view that is hard to shake off in adulthood. As Helena Kennedy said, if at first you don’t succeed, you don’t succeed. Adult educators have spent the last decade trying to hang the cash value of learning onto the different pegs of social policy. Perhaps it’s time to re-assert a fundamental truth – that there’s an inherent and inspiring value in adult learning. It’s an intrinsic part of our humanity. And for that reason, and for that reason alone, we should grow it and cherish it. I challenge the bean-counters to read the stories of our apprentices without a little tear splashing quietly onto their spreadsheet. Softened hearts can change minds, and minds can change structures. More and different adult learning – NIACE’s mission is as valid today as it ever was.
The Apprentices’ Journey, a report on the experiences of the 81 learners nominated for the Pearson-sponsored 2011 Adult Apprentice of the Year Award, is published by NIACE:
http://shop.niace.org.uk/ the-apprentices-journey. html
Carol Taylor is NIACE’s Director of Research and Development
SPRING 2012 ADULTS LEARNING
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