APPRENTICESHIPS


FEATURE


Ideal way to develop skills for the future


By Barry Moss (pictured), Owner Director of Go Six Sigma


When I am in conversation with employers regarding staff training and development, I am still dismayed that many businesses, of all sizes, still have misconceptions and misunderstandings about modern apprenticeships. Reasons I have heard against utilising them include the


levy being considered just another tax; operating complexity; the requirement for 20% off the job being too onerous and the misconception that they are only for school leavers learning vocational trades. In this article I try to dispel some of these misunderstandings. Firstly, why they are not just for school leavers. Well,


simply, there is no upper age limit, provided there is an employment contract for an average of at least 30 hours per week, and the employee is not in full-time education or already undertaking another apprenticeship. Apprenticeships provide an excellent way to deliver new


skills to your existing workforce across an ever-increasing range of occupations, from abattoir to youth worker, from Level 2 (GCSE/Intermediate Apprenticeship) right through to Level 7 (postgraduate). At the time of writing, there are 512 apprenticeship


standards approved for delivery with a further 151 either proposed or in development. The new standards, which will completely replace frameworks in August 2020, have been developed to ensure independent end point assessment (EPA) while allowing greater flexibility to suit the needs of the business. Therefore, engaging with the right provider and end point assessment organisation (EPAO) to achieve this is worth the effort. A significant difference between apprenticeships and


traditional training courses is the focus on applying new skills and demonstrating professional behaviours in the workplace, rather than just acquiring knowledge. The assessment plans vary and depend upon the


apprenticeship but are always heavily focused on workplace skills assessment and professional discussion regarding behaviours with a small portion of knowledge testing. Behaviours, which typically vary by the apprenticeship


level, outline the professional expectations on an employee fulfilling an appropriate post apprenticeship role. Examples include team working, professionalism,


business network February 2020 67


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