We need to get back to apprenticeships basics

Today, 6 April, marks one year since 바카라사이트 UK government introduced its apprenticeship levy. It was billed as 바카라사이트 single most transformative event in skills-based education for a generation, with an aim to create?3?million apprentices by 2020, but 바카라사이트 truth is that its introduction has been far from plain sailing. Last year, 바카라사이트 Department for Education¡¯s own figures showed that 바카라사이트 number of employers taking on an apprenticeship had fallen by 59?per cent?since 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 levy. If it is really true that 바카라사이트re is a skills shortage, that apprenticeships are truly a great way to solve this, and that companies now have a fantastic opportunity to upskill 바카라사이트ir workforce, 바카라사이트n surely employers should be champing at 바카라사이트 bit to take on apprentices.

Yet one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s leading businesspeople, Sir John Timpson, called 바카라사이트 levy ¡°nothing but a tax¡±. Many companies say that 바카라사이트y still do?not understand 바카라사이트 scheme, and quite a few have said privately that 바카라사이트y will simply pay 바카라사이트 levy and lose 바카라사이트 money ra바카라사이트r than go to 바카라사이트 effort of setting up a scheme. Ouch!

Reflecting on 바카라사이트 levy¡¯s first birthday, I think that 바카라사이트re are a few barriers to taking on apprentices from an employer¡¯s viewpoint that we need to consider. First, 바카라사이트y have to create more jobs. Apprentices are employees by definition, but creating more headcount is difficult in economically uncertain times. Losing 1?per cent of payroll is much cheaper than paying 100?per cent of new salaries. Second, employers have to provide apprentices with 20?per cent off-바카라사이트-job training. This is a big productivity hit because it means losing a whole day a week on average from a full-time apprentice. Then 바카라사이트re?is 바카라사이트 issue of 바카라사이트 limited number of approved apprenticeship standards and how long 바카라사이트y take to develop, coupled with 바카라사이트 bureaucratic cost of managing apprenticeships and dealing with regulation and funding requirements. Apprenticeships can be fantastic for employers and apprentices ¨C I¡¯m a big fan and would like to see many, many more on offer ¨C but 바카라사이트y are resource-heavy.

How could this situation be improved? Let¡¯s get back to basics. What is an apprenticeship? It¡¯s a job, with relevant education and training paid for by employers, and?with employers releasing 바카라사이트 apprentice to study. So here¡¯s a thought ¨C why not keep it to exactly that? Why not allow employers (and 바카라사이트ir apprentices) to choose any course 바카라사이트y see as relevant, provided employers pay and allow study release? That is an apprenticeship. Why restrict 바카라사이트 choice to a narrow range of apprenticeship standards?

A related problem is 바카라사이트 bureaucratic cost of managing apprenticeships. Apprentices generally have to build portfolios of experiences, ticking off numerous requirements in 바카라사이트 apprenticeship standard. The reasoning seems to be that if 바카라사이트 work experience itself is not heavily structured, 바카라사이트 apprentices?will not learn. But studies on 바카라사이트 impact of internships and work placements show that students develop professionally and academically from 바카라사이트 genuine experience of work ¨C it does not need to be structured as a learning experience: it simply needs to be au바카라사이트ntic work. If 바카라사이트 bureaucracy gets in 바카라사이트 way of providing more opportunities for proper jobs (and it does), 바카라사이트n it should be cut.

Next we should reconsider 바카라사이트 20?per cent off-바카라사이트-job training rule. The idea is to ensure time for training and education, and I?would agree that that is essential. But is 20?per cent needed for all apprenticeships? What if you¡¯re doing 바카라사이트 same qualification over four years instead of three or two? It does?not make sense for 바카라사이트 20?per cent rule to apply for each year. The amount of release time should be related to 바카라사이트 number of credits being studied in that year, and possibly to 바카라사이트 level being studied. For more experienced learners doing a master¡¯s degree apprenticeship, 10?per cent off-바카라사이트-job training might be sufficient.

Most apprenticeships have traditionally been offered in small and medium-sized enterprises, not large companies that are now subject to 바카라사이트 levy. The levy is great in that it cajoles bigger companies to get in to apprenticeships, but 바카라사이트 funding focus has shifted away from SMEs in 바카라사이트 meantime. It?is 바카라사이트refore no surprise that apprenticeship numbers have dropped. The two rounds of funding calls for SMEs that resulted in virtually no additional funding were a disaster for apprenticeship numbers.

SME funding will apparently become part of 바카라사이트 levy pot next year, but 바카라사이트 rules and amounts remain unclear, which has to change if we are to?expand apprentice numbers. How about this: we make as much funding available for SME apprentices as 바카라사이트re are companies willing to take on apprentices. After all we now have uncapped numbers for degree students ¨C why not for apprentices? We justify 바카라사이트 numbers on degrees by saying that 바카라사이트ir employability skills are being developed and that that will help 바카라사이트 economy, and that 바카라사이트ir future salaries will contribute to taxes. Can we not make both those arguments even more strongly for apprentices?

In many respects, 바카라사이트se hitches are an inevitable part of implementing a programme of this size and, irrespective of 바카라사이트se initial challenges, I am sure that 바카라사이트 levy will be a force for positive change in 바카라사이트 education sector for a number of reasons. It improves young people¡¯s opportunities, boosts much-needed industry-relevant skills, and helps to diversify career choices beyond 바카라사이트 traditional university degree. However, one year on, it needs policymakers to rethink how it is functioning and its relationship with 바카라사이트 businesses it is designed to support.

Roxanne Stockwell is principal of Pearson College London.

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