Apprenticeship Reforms 1 Year On

It has been 1 year since the Apprenticeship reforms were introduced and in this Intec at work we address some of the key policy developments, as the dust settles on the biggest industry shake up of the past 30 years. We believe the majority of employers feel the reforms will have a positive impact on their business and this is what we know so far.

Apprenticeship Starts

Although the number of starts has fallen 30% since the start of the Apprenticeship Levy, employers are now beginning to implement their Apprenticeship plans, with volumes anticipated to rise over the coming year. The main decline has been in the 16-18 year old category, with awareness of higher and degree level Apprenticeships increasing, as businesses seek to establish Apprenticeship training in complex job roles for existing staff.

Apprenticeship Type

There has been a significant increase in the number of employers using their levy to develop Leadership and Management programmes. This has been portrayed as a negative, but is it? With poor management costing the UK economy an estimated £84billion a year (Source: The Chartered Management Institute), investing in the skills that can have a significant impact at the front end of an organisation will support the development of other employees throughout the business.

Levy Use

Government statistics show that less than half of the 19,150 organisations eligible to pay the Levy have opened their Apprenticeship Service account. Employers have taken their time to plan and execute how the Levy will be used to maximum impact within their business, working with providers to design and implement programmes that meet the organisations’ cultural needs and values. As a result training providers, such as ourselves, have become more flexible, developing bespoke training programmes that can integrate existing workplace training to Apprenticeships.

The Impact on SME’s

Organisations that don’t pay into the Levy have pulled away from the use of Apprenticeships to either recruit young people into their workforce or train existing staff. Providers have focused on the Levy paying employers and therefore the awareness of SME’s around Apprenticeships has decreased. Government funding is still available for theseorganisations and some of the cost to the employer is offset by the £1000 employers receive when recruiting a 16-18 year old to their business.

Apprenticeship Standards

The number of new standards available, designed to improve the quality of Apprenticeship content that is taught, has increased. There are now over 500 standards either approved for delivery or in development. At Intec we deliver a range of standards and have found the new content to be engaging, exciting and motivational for learners. Since the introduction of these reforms the Institute for Apprenticeships has become responsible for standards approval with the promise of a speedier process.

All of the points set out are part of the cycle as we move from a long established system to a new system designed to improve the quality of learning and access to Apprenticeships for all.

Whether you’re a small employer or a large multi-national Intec have the experience and ability to help your business to navigate the Apprenticeship landscape to design and implement an effective programme to meet your organisation’s needs. Call us today on 0808 100 1155 for more information.