APPRENTICESHIPS RESEARCH IN PRACTICE
The central role of the work-based mentor in new-style apprenticeships
In the move from framework to standards-based apprenticeships, mentors have a huge responsibility. Andy Armitage and Alison Cogger examine the wide range of knowledge, skills and values they will need.
Following recommendations made by Doug Richard (Richard 2012), the Government has made the work-based mentor (or supervisor) a pivotal figure in delivering the new standards-based apprenticeships. Although there have always been assessor awards and the Level 3 Mentor and Level 4 Assessor/Coach apprenticeships have now been approved for delivery in the further education and training sector, there has been little in the way of support and training for work-based mentor/coaches. Until now many of them have taken one of the teacher training awards, none of which will fully meet their needs. We hope the new Apprenticeships will help towards this.
So what knowledge, skills and values will the new apprenticeship mentor/ coach need? Ever since the Statute of Artificers established the seven-year apprenticeship as the model for vocational training in 1563, we have had a long tradition of vocational training and education. The mentor needs some understanding of this history and what has, and has not, worked and why. It would also be useful if they were aware of the apprenticeship systems in other European countries. As we move from framework to standards-based apprenticeships, they need to have an overview of current vocational standards and the qualifications their mentee(s) might be working towards in their apprenticeships. The mentor’s major role is to facilitate
REFERENCES
• Armitage, A. and Cogger, A. (2019). The New Apprenticeships – Facilitating Learning, Mentoring, Coaching and Assessing St Albans: Critical Publishing
• Armitage, A, Cogger, A, Evershed, J, Hayes, D, Lawes, S, and Renwick, A (2016). Teaching in Post-14 Education and Training, 5th edition. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/ Open University Press. • Pemberton, C. (2006). Coaching to Solutions. Oxford: Elsevier.
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• Richard, D. (2012). The Richard Review of Apprenticeships, London: School for Startups.
•Whitmore, J. (2017). Coaching for Performance, 5th edn. Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
• Megginson, D. and Clutterbuck, D. (2012). Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring Abingdon: Routledge.
their mentee’s learning. An understanding of the key features of their mentees as learners will be important, particularly any barriers to learning they may need to overcome, as well as some of the factors which will affect their learning, such as motivation, ability and age. Mentors will need to be skilled at communicating with their mentee, as well as being aware of the communication challenges the mentee faces as part of their occupational role. They should be adept at questioning and listening as well as appreciating the nuances of body language or non-verbal communication. Mentors may gain useful insights
through familiarisation with key learning theories and approaches. They need to understand how the nature of organisations affects learning as well as appreciating and using current, and emerging, technologies. Mentoring is a cyclical process and
mentors need to be effective at managing the process: particularly target-setting, recording learner progress, and managing and maintaining the mentor/mentee relationship. Mentors should demonstrate emotional intelligence and understand its importance to effective mentoring and coaching as well as appreciating the necessity of building rapport, trust and respect. They should be skilled in coaching, which the guru of the GROW model, Sir John Whitmore, called ‘emotional intelligence in practice’ (Whitmore 2017). They should have a comprehensive
understanding of the role of safety, health and the environment and be committed to the maintenance of their occupational currency and continuous professional development. They should be skilled at observation as well as the teaching, tutoring or instruction activities a mentor/ coach may be required to carry out. Although the end-point assessment of the apprentice will be carried out by an external assessor, the mentor’s role in preparing the apprentice for this, through formative assessment, will be critical. So the mentor should be conversant with the major features and principles of assessment as well as with the methods currently being used for end- point assessment: portfolio/logbook, professional dialogue, written, verbal or online knowledge test, observed practical assessment, interview or panel discussion, project, presentation or showcase. They should understand the major elements of the quality assurance of assessment and their likely role in relation to it.
Andy Armitage is an education consultant, ETF Associate and External Expert for Ofqual and author.
Alison Cogger is faculty director and apprenticeships lead (education) at Canterbury Christ Church University. She is a Fellow of SET and a QTLS reviewer.
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