FEATURE Learning for Life
Apprenticeships are not just for school leavers. In fact, they could be the key that unlocks limitless potential within your team. Linda Martin, Managing Director at Professional Assessment Ltd (PAL), discusses how invaluable continuous learning can be for everyone.
If major learning pathways were only available to people leaving school, then that would inevitably mean that people’s knowledge and existing skillsets would depreciate each year, becoming prematurely defunct altogether well ahead of retirement age.
Thankfully, however, there are lifelong learning pathways available to everyone of all ages, proving that training and education is no longer the sole preserve of the classroom and exam hall.
Apprenticeships are one major route to learning that are more flexible than many people assume. Apprenticeship standards can adapt quickly to current theory and best practice – regardless of the area of discipline – and the format in which they are delivered in the workplace can respond to an organisations’ needs and operational cycles.
By delivering apprenticeships in the care workplace, care organisations also open up scope for vocational learning to people who may experience socio-economic barriers to education.
In order to gain the maximum benefits from flexible learning pathways like apprenticeships, care organisations need to overcome a couple of challenges: battling misconceptions and preconceived notions about who the courses are designed for, and in which format they can be delivered to suit both the learner’s and employer’s needs.
Though PAL has recognised that in the training delivery world there is a desire by some to remove Level 2 qualifications (and that doing so would greatly impact the ability for some people to enter the care industry by adding a barrier to learning), there are apprenticeship levels and standards that can be accessed by people from entry level, right up to senior management level.
Though people generally associate apprenticeships with young people looking to gain a new skill, there is absolutely no
reason why managers, department heads and team leaders in the care sector should not also be considering the lifelong learning opportunities.
Let’s not forget that there has likely been no more poignant time in recent memory when employees and job seekers need to feel supported and championed by their existing or potential employer. Nearly every sector in the UK is experiencing ongoing difficulties with staff retention and recruitment – leaving teams feeling overstretched and undervalued. This could not be truer than in the care sector.
There is an abundance of opportunities out there for people to learn through flexible apprenticeship routes throughout their career. With the right support, care professionals have the potential to transform their industry for the better.
And in a competitive job market where organisations across all sectors are struggling to fill roles, offering an appealing training package from the very outset of a new recruit’s journey will no doubt help attract and retain the very best talent.
If you’re considering introducing an apprenticeship programme, or are thinking about how you might best support an existing apprentice when it comes to their assessments, there are steps you can take to provide learning and development opportunities. End-point Assessment creates an environment for the right skills and behaviours to be cultivated throughout the duration of the apprenticeship, so the unskilled individual can hit the ground running with new skills on completion.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. End-point assessment organisations, such as PAL, are on hand to support care employers through the process. For more information, visit the website.
www.professionalassessment.co.uk
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www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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