Chesterfield Borough Council’s Post

Another article about the youth Apprenticeship movement continuing to scale. It's beneficial to the business who adopt this model, and life changing to the students involved. #futureofwork https://lnkd.in/eaf5E72S

The Government’s recently announced Youth Guarantee is a pivotal moment for the future of apprenticeships, skills, and youth employment in England. For organisations like AutoRaise, dedicated to creating pathways into the automotive repair industry, this initiative represents both an opportunity and a challenge to lead meaningful change. Delivering a Future-Ready Workforce: Why the Youth Guarantee Matters The promise of the Youth Guarantee is bold: every 18-to-21-year-old will have access to apprenticeships, quality training, or work opportunities. Key measures include: ·      Transforming Apprenticeships: The £40 million investment to establish a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy will open doors to new foundation and shorter apprenticeships, aligned with industry needs. ·      Focused Local Support: £45 million funding for eight trailblazer areas to match at-risk young people with tailored opportunities in education, training, or work. ·      Empowering Employers: With greater flexibility for apprenticeships, employers can align training more effectively with their workforce needs. What This Means for the Automotive Sector As an industry that thrives on technical excellence and innovation, these reforms align closely with the work we do at AutoRaise to address the skills gap and foster the next generation of talent. This is more than a chance to fill vacancies—it’s a call to action for employers to reshape how we attract, develop, and retain young professionals. At AutoRaise, we see this as an opportunity to double down on our mission: ·      To engage with employers and support them in adopting apprenticeships. ·      To empower young people to see the automotive repair sector as a career destination. ·      To advocate for a skills framework that meets both current and future needs of the industry The Role of Leadership in Driving Change The success of the Youth Guarantee will hinge on collaboration between government, employers, and industry leaders. At AutoRaise, we’re committed to being a voice for the automotive sector in this critical conversation. This initiative is more than policy—it’s a chance to reimagine how industries like ours create opportunities and drive economic growth. Let’s hope this bold vision translates into real impact, building a workforce ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. #YouthGuarantee #SkillsForTheFuture #Apprenticeships #BuildTheFuture #AutoRaise

It was great to speak at the Apprenticeship Branding Conference yesterday in Birmingham, thanks to Jagdeep Soor FIEP and Pathway Group for the invitation. I find it really frustrating when our apprenticeship system gets a bashing, it's not perfect, but it certainly isn't "broken" either - it could be even better if we tackled a few key things: 1 - Good literacy and numeracy skills should never be underplayed, but the current approach to functional skills policy is arbitrary and damaging the prospects of too many people, it holds back a considerably higher QAR and is a key reason for high PPED rates. At the same time the qualifications are also not functional enough too. 2 - Qualification Achievement Rates - every system needs the right accountability measures. QAR paints an unfair picture and we need a broader approach to recognise all the positive outcomes of those who don't complete. QAR in its current guise is damaging the apprenticeship brand. 3 - EPA - Independent assessment at the end is a unique approach that is valued by most employers and apprentices I hear from, but EPA is currently not proportionate and a more nuanced, simplified and independent approach is needed as we move forward. A change to EPA also then allows for a move to a more flexible approach to apprenticeship standards - such as 80% core and up to 20% flexible content to be more tailored to each employer. 4 - More Young People/SMEs - these two largely go hand in hand. There needs to be a suitable on-ramp programme to help bridge to gap to level 2 and level 3 programmes that are vital for career starters. If there is going to be growth in apprenticeships it will come from SMEs who are time poor and need help with a simplified Apprenticeship Service journey. 5 - Funding - Despite what you hear in the national media (and from some politicians) there is minimal (yes minimal) underspend. Affordability also acts as a handbrake for much needed increases of funding bands going faster and deeper. Whilst there is limited underspend there is considerably more unallocated apprenticeship levy that could be used to increase the apprenticeship programme budget. It is critical to ensuring growth, sustainability and continuing with an all-age, all-level employer-led system that we get much closer alignment on these two things. #AmplifyApps AELP #Apprenticeships #EPA #FSQs #AskAshworth

🚀 This Week in Apprenticeship Insights 🌟 ✅ Spotlight Feature: How to measure ROI on apprenticeships and showcase impact. ✅ Top Trends: The rise of digital apprenticeships in 2024 and beyond. ✅ Expert Voices: Leaders share tips for improving retention in apprenticeship schemes. Stay ahead in the world of apprenticeships. #Apprenticeships #HRDConnect #WorkforceDevelopment #EmployerInsights

Following yesterday's general election, we welcome a new government and a significant change in leadership. The new administration has emphasised its plans to enhance the vocational training and education sector and improve the quality of apprenticeships across the UK, with the most relevant manifesto points being: ✏ Reform the ‘Apprenticeships Levy’ into a flexible ‘Growth and Skills Levy’ ✏ Guarantee training, an apprenticeship or work experience for all 18- to 21-year-olds ✏ Establish Skills England to coordinate businesses, training providers and government ✏ Establish specialist Technical Excellence Colleges ✏ Transfer adult skills funding to Combined Authorities These new policy changes will certainly present both exciting opportunities and new challenges for the sector, and we at Bud are here to navigate these changes alongside you. Our learning management system is designed to support not only training providers but also AEB and Skills Bootcamp providers. We are committed to empowering all organisations to thrive in this new landscape and build a skilled and resilient workforce. Keep an eye out for our post-election article, where we will discuss the results in more detail, or read our article with the apprenticeship sector’s wishlist now. 👇 🔎 https://lnkd.in/ejtGxpaJ #generalelection #electionwishlist #edtech #training #apprenticeships #highereducation #innovation

🌟 Highlights from This Week’s Apprenticeship Training Newsletter (23/01/2025) 💡 Expert Insights: George Eiloart, Director of Partnerships at Accelerate People, shares how apprenticeships are gaining traction across all age groups and the role of digital tools in transforming training delivery. 🚨 Key Issue: Concerns rise over the misuse of apprenticeship funds, potentially limiting opportunities for young, entry-level candidates. 🔧 Spotlight on Innovation: East Midlands Railway launches a new Fleet Engineer Apprenticeship campaign to strengthen the UK’s engineering talent pipeline. Stay ahead of the latest trends and challenges in the apprenticeship sector. 👉 Read more here: [https://lnkd.in/dg6EhqR4] #Apprenticeships #TrainingProviders #EducationInnovation #WorkforceDevelopment

'The system is heavily reliant on informal networks and personal relationships, rather than fostering systemic collaboration' Andrea Laczik, Edge Foundation on why some providers are turning away from degree apprenticeships

While this article usefully points out that Degree Apprenticeships in the UK have not helped much with social mobility it should be noted that this is not the only objective. Reducing the cost of higher education for someone who might have taken a more expensive route is also important. Not to mention, that work-based learning is more effective. Those two objectives in themselves make it a worthwhile approach that should be scaled up. The issue with social mobility seems to be related to employers controlling who enters the programmes. The report seems to suggest that this challenge may need to be separated out. https://lnkd.in/ehK7eaj2

I've been reflecting on some of the key topics of conversation from yesterday’s fantastic National Degree Apprenticeships Conference 2024. The line-up of accomplished and insightful speakers provided much food for thought. Much of our work at MH&A involves us helping HE and FE providers respond to challenges in the sector, particularly in the realm of apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships. Here are some of my key takeaways from the session yesterday and I am really keen to engage with professionals in HE and apprenticeships to gather your views and experiences on the below: 💡Widening access to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds - data from a report by the Sutton Trust in 2019 showed that those who were entrants to degree apprenticeships were less likely to be from deprived backgrounds and so degree apprenticeships may not be acting as an engine for social mobility – is this something you have seen in your degree apprenticeship learner population and why do you think this is so? 💡Impact of a new Labour government – although details are unclear we do know that if the polls are right and Labour are elected to government that they are proposing a new ‘Skills England’ and also to give greater flexibility to employers who pay levy allowing them to spend up to 50% on non-apprenticeship work force development – what do you think are the opportunities, challenges and the potential impact of these proposals? 💡Widening access and participation in degree apprenticeships – in discussion yesterday it was a widely held consensus that the right messages about degree apprenticeships; who they are for, what they are, how they work etc… are not reaching schools, parents, and potential students hindering uptake – what do you think are the major barriers to this crucial engagement and have you had or seen any successes in overcoming them? 💡Digital tools to manage the apprenticeship journey – without effective procurement and implementation of digital technology managing apprentices is complex, because: multiple learners & programmes, multiple regulators, manual tracking is resource heavy, complicated and prone to error – what has been your experience of managing apprentices and/or implementation and integration of new tech solutions? Drop into the comments or send me a message to keep yesterday’s conversation flowing! With thanks to yesterday’s contributors Emma Ward, Graeme Atherton ,Patrick Leonard, Sammy Shummo Rachael Johnstone , Thomas Burton, Dr Trevor Gerhardt SFHEA (DipTh, BA, PgCertHE, MA, EdD) and chairperson Daniel Lally #highereducation #apprenticeships #degreeapprenticeships

ICYMI: Yesterday was the National Degree Apprenticeship Conference! 🎓 My colleague Rebecca has put together an insightful summary of the key takeaways. 👇 #DegreeApprenticeships #Education #SkillsDevelopment #apprenticeships #LifelongLearning