Apprenticeships are a big deal. We’ve all seen the endless media coverage around the apprenticeship reforms, both positive and negative, and are aware of the emphasis that the government is placing on increasing volume and quality to provide a catalyst for economic and social change.  

So, should we take this seriously or are apprenticeships just the latest fad? At the ETF we firmly believe that apprenticeships provide fantastic opportunities for employers, providers and apprentices, but that realising the significant benefits won’t happen without hard work and a lot of support, to ensure that every apprentice has a high quality experience.

Helping employers and apprentices

Looking at the evidence, the latest evaluation carried out by the Department for Education shows there are benefits for both employers and apprentices. Employers reported a wide range of positive outcomes including improved productivity, product or service quality, staff morale, staff retention and reputation in the sector. Apprentices report higher levels of satisfaction and improved skills and knowledge that can be applied to a broad range of jobs and industries.  

The apprenticeship reforms are a game-changer for both employers and providers. The changes to funding, including the introduction of the levy, puts employers in the driving seat and provides a very direct incentive to employ apprentices on high quality programmes that benefit their business. For public sector employers, there is the added incentive of the government’s target to employ at least 2.3% of their staff as new apprentices.

For providers, the apprenticeship reforms are a great opportunity and there are over 2,200 providers on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers who are ready, keen and eager to deliver. Many of these providers are experienced and already delivering. However, there are many organisations on the register who are brand new to the apprenticeship world, and even for experienced providers the reforms bring significant changes that will impact on their delivery models and the requirements of their workforce.

Future Apprenticeships

Delivering quality apprenticeships is not a one-dimensional task. There are areas including planning, strategy, relationship management, systems and delivery that providers need to get right. This is not easy but there is help available and the ETF has developed the Future Apprenticeships programme to meet these needs and support apprenticeship providers.

Our offer is wide-ranging and supports organisations at all stages of the journey from brand new and never having delivered – to experienced, and wanting to introduce greater levels of innovation.

The support provided by the ETF includes a practical online toolkit, a range of webinars, workshops and online courses that can help providers to improve delivery and ultimately meet the needs of both employers and apprentices.