26 CRAFTBUTCHER l SEPTEMBER 2019


TRAINING


LATEST TRAILBLAZER REPORT CONFIRMS SUCCESS


Continued £9k funding and the Butchery Apprenticeship Stakeholder Consultation Report completed in April confirms after two years in development and three years’ operating success for Trailblazer Level Two (L2) Butchery Apprenticeships.


Commissioned by the Food and Drink Training and Education Council (FTC) and part funded by the Worshipful Company of Butchers. The consultation took place between February-April this year with the objective to ascertain levels of satisfaction amongst employers, training providers, membership organisations and apprentices on the course.


Alongside twenty-nine other standards, with robust defence from the L2 Butcher Standard Trailblazer Group influenced by FDQ (Food & Drink Qualifications) is one of a small number to retain government funding of £9k for each apprentice. Widely acknowledged as a ‘game changer’, conducive to the development of the standard the intention of the report is to give future direction and meet the needs of the industry.


Driven by online, face to face and telephone surveys covering thirty-nine employers, thirteen training providers and twenty-nine apprentices. More than eighty stakeholders took part in a study promoted by FDQ, Institute of Meat, National Craft Butchers, Q Guild, Food Manufacture and Meat Management.


Being just five years in the making, the L2 Butchery standard is viewed as a new apprenticeship and,


apprentices (93%) value it, feeling their skills and knowledge improves as a result.


despite ‘teething’ problems, being acknowledged as successful and a step up from anything before. Being more comprehensive and challenging and can be more taxing to deliver.


Covering knowledge, skills and behaviours more than 90%


requirement for an L2 butcher.


59% of the apprentices questioned felt that the knowledge, skills and behaviours were very relevant to their work with another 38% saying quite relevant. All apprentices, apart from one found what they were doing


The report identifies training providers experiencing difficulties delivering training when distances between sites are great and numbers of apprentices low. As well as employer ‘buy in’ and their interpretation of ‘off the job’ learning. And while some apprentices with low literacy and numeracy skills struggle with the logbook and are reluctant to complete it. Both employers and training providers find it a helpful reference guide.


When it comes to the practical, oral and written End Point Assessment (EPA). Employers generally approve and despite criticism from training providers about alien environments and observations preferred over practical skill tests. More than 90% of apprentices having completed an EPA felt they were very or quite prepared for it.


of employers and training providers were satisfied that the standard reflects the understanding needed by the L2 butcher. And while acknowledging that the apprenticeship is more challenging requiring more in-depth knowledge, some feel what is required is over and above what is necessary.


All training providers and over 80% of employers feel the core skills either fully or mostly reflected the competence requirement of an L2 butcher. While 70% of employers and training providers feel the core behaviours also either fully or mostly represented the


on the apprenticeship was useful to their job.


All round training and learning a broad range of skills at this stage was recognised as a positive by most employers. Whereas less than half and most training providers feel consideration should be given to sector specific standards. However, it was pointed out that being the first food craft apprenticeship to be approved in 2015 and as Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) policy has evolved, any changes should be considered very carefully. And while employers were split on it being easy or quite easy delivering 20% ‘off the job’ training most


In conclusion, with just over 25% of total apprentices completing the EPA and after just five years since inception. The report establishes L2 Butchery Apprenticeship as being widely embraced by the meat industry, considered as straight-forward to deliver and a one-day EPA being an advantage.


However, going forward the report also recommends that the Trailblazer group re-visit separate sector standards, clarity as to what constitutes ‘off the job’ training and converting the logbook from analogue to digital.n


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