Feature Industry Comment Flying the flag for apprentices
Here at Electrical Engineering magazine we have long championed the importance of apprentices. Here, in his latest column, ECA CEO Steve Bratt previews the forthcoming policy changes and explores why the stakes are high when it comes to the future of apprenticeships
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Above: ECA CEO Steve Bratt
here’s no denying that appren- ticeships play a vital role in the UK‘s skills and industrial infra- structure. However, the chal- lenge that accompanies them is making sure they offer good value for the public purse without compromis- ing the quality of the end product for employers and learners. Successive governments have made slight alter- ations to aspects of the apprentice- ship model over the past two decades, but the current government is putting measures in place to redesign the apprenticeship concept, aiming to ensure employers are at the centre of apprenticeship policy.
The government has indicated that it intends to implement many of the Richard Review recommendations as a broad platform from which the future of apprenticeships can be built. Earlier this year, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) completed the ‘Richard Review: Next Steps’ consul- tation exercise. The results of this consultation will be published later this year, and we expect those to pro- vide the finer details of future apprenticeship policy. The aim is to position employers at the heart of defining the standards and scope of the learning required for each job role. Other plans are for apprentice- ship assessments to become more independent and trusted by employ- ers - something that we believe is essential, given the concerns around sub-standard training across the wider apprenticeship landscape.
One size doesn’t fit all
On the face of it, the proposed overhaul of apprenticeships is an excellent idea. However, if the reform goes ahead, we need to ensure that the final framework reflects the needs of the wide variety of sectors who train apprentices. One apprenticeship size does not fit all, and we need to be mindful of that when determining how apprenticeships are delivered in the future. I do not agree with everything set out in the Richard Review, but it appears to have arrived at the same conclusions about the need to safeguard standards and that every apprenticeship is defined and led by its employers.
So what is the new apprenticeship infrastructure likely to look like and what will it mean for employers? Firstly, the government has called on employers to take ownership of their apprentice- ship and its end test. This is something we already do well in this industry via our employer defined assessment of competence unit, the AM2.
The ECA would also like to see a situ- ation where employer representatives in the form of consortia of employer led bodies, such as trade associations, will be expected to exert leadership in man- aging apprenticeships. They should also play a role in underpinning occupa- tional standards and qualifications on behalf of their industry going forward. This could give employers greater con- trol in specifying and defining the con- tent of their apprenticeship. However, if this new apprenticeship process is to work, it’s vital that employ- ers engage with it, which means they
need to be able to trust the consortia who’ll be managing it. If this isn’t the case, we risk a repeat of what has hap- pened with many of the new apprentice- ship industries, where commercial interests with less legitimacy step in and take control. This has a detrimental impact on the industry, and the young people who are seeking a career in it.
Summary
Whatever we might read into these developments as the new policy emerges, it is important that we don’t lose sight of what an apprenticeship is really about - turning a young person into a skilled craftsman. This overhaul of apprenticeships could represent a once in a generation set of changes, and employers must retain control of the standards that underpin the industry’s skills and competence. Apprentices are the future, so we need to make sure that their training prepares them as well as possible for life in the industry they will spend their career in.
ECA
www.eca.co.uk T: 0207 313 4800
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OCTOBER 2013 Electrical Engineering
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