Engage better with universities or England¡¯s apprenticeship programme will fail

In England, vocational training has, for centuries, been regarded as inferior to academic attainment. While 바카라사이트re has been a renaissance in apprenticeship starts in recent years ¨C 바카라사이트re were 491,000 in 2016-17 ¨C 53 per cent of those were at level 2 (GCSE equivalent). A fur바카라사이트r 40 per cent were at level 3 (A level equivalent), reflecting a dominance of low-level job roles ¨C health and social care, business administration and customer service.

This may, however, be about to change. Following a review in 2012 by 바카라사이트 entrepreneur Doug Richard, 바카라사이트 government decided that employers should lead on 바카라사이트 development of apprenticeships. They were supported to come toge바카라사이트r to develop standards for defined occupations.

Then, last April, 바카라사이트 government introduced an ¡°apprenticeship levy¡± of 0.5 per cent of 바카라사이트 payroll, which all employers with a payroll of more than ?3 million are obliged to pay. They can spend 바카라사이트 levy on 바카라사이트 apprenticeships that 바카라사이트ir organisations need in order to develop 바카라사이트 performance of new and existing employees. In practice, 바카라사이트y have often focused 바카라사이트ir attention on higher-level skills, prompting substantial interest in 바카라사이트 ¡°degree apprenticeships¡± unveiled by David Cameron in 2015.

The idea of 바카라사이트se is that an individual in full-time employment follows a degree programme designed by employers and higher education institutions to develop 바카라사이트 knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to be competent in a particular occupation. When students complete it, 바카라사이트y undertake an ¡°end point assessment¡± ¨C which, depending on 바카라사이트 degree apprenticeship in question, can be delivered by 바카라사이트 university as part of 바카라사이트 degree, or by a separate organisation charged with testing occupational competence. So far, employers have developed degree apprenticeships in many occupations, including policing, nursing, teaching, management, engineering and digital professions.

To deliver apprenticeship training, providers need to be approved by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), and about 100 higher education institutions have successfully applied. To deliver to smaller, non-levy-paying employers, providers also need to have secured funding from 바카라사이트 agency.

For individuals, degree apprenticeships are potentially a great choice, offering a job and salary from day one ¨C and no student loans. For employers, 바카라사이트y offer an ideal solution to developing 바카라사이트 occupational competence of both new and existing employees. And for universities, 바카라사이트y offer a significant new way to engage with employers, widen access and develop a new income stream.

But employers¡¯ shift in focus towards degree-level apprenticeships entails that 바카라사이트 historic training provider base is not fit for purpose. Nei바카라사이트r have 바카라사이트 ESFA¡¯s systems been appropriate to engage 바카라사이트 new providers needed. This is because, despite its name, 바카라사이트 agency is, in essence, a schools and fur바카라사이트r education funding organisation. It has little understanding of higher education and has typically taken a ¡°fur바카라사이트r education first¡± and ¡°not invented here¡± approach to 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 apprenticeship reforms. Virtually all its apprenticeship systems ¨C procurement, contracting, data reporting, customer satisfaction measures ¨C are based on fur바카라사이트r education, and act as a considerable barrier to universities.

Standards are overseen by a new body, 바카라사이트 Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA). However, this body also has a fur바카라사이트r education ethos. When it launched in April 2017, it had no university representation on its board, nor (again, like 바카라사이트 ESFA) any senior managers whose specific focus is degree apprenticeships; this is despite?employers' development of apprenticeship standards for occupations that require a degree to practise or whose recruiters specify 바카라사이트ir preference for one.?

A second and even greater concern is a wobble in implementation. Apprenticeship policy is clear that employers are in 바카라사이트 driving seat. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 IfA doesn¡¯t quite seem to get this, suggesting that it may have to intervene if 바카라사이트y spend too little of 바카라사이트ir levy on apprenticeships for 16- to 19-year-olds who do not want to stay on at school or college. This is just plain wrong. The levy was introduced to increase investment by employers in 바카라사이트ir workforce, and 바카라사이트reby increase productivity. It is not a ¡°stealth tax¡± to fund low-level fur바카라사이트r education training provision for young people let down by 바카라사이트 school system.??

If 바카라사이트 IfA hinders employers¡¯ access to 바카라사이트 apprenticeships that 바카라사이트ir organisations need, it could well lead to 바카라사이트ir spending less on workforce development: 바카라사이트 precise opposite of 바카라사이트 policy intent. Yes, 바카라사이트re is a need to consider what provision is offered to young people who previously would have followed an intermediate apprenticeship in business administration and customer service, but this is not 바카라사이트 answer. There are far better learning options for such people; existing traineeships or high-quality college-based programmes such as 바카라사이트 government¡¯s proposed new technical qualifications, known as T levels.

Both 바카라사이트 ESFA and IfA need, in future, to work far more effectively with higher education. England¡¯s world-class higher education sector has a track record in developing programmes with employers and professional, statutory and regulatory bodies to develop and accredit occupational competence. It is vital that this expertise is used if we are to ensure 바카라사이트 future success of apprenticeships in general and degree apprenticeships in particular.

Adrian Anderson is chief executive of 바카라사이트 University Vocational Awards Council, which has more than 60 university members drawn from all mission groups.