3aaa Apprenticeship
Tuesday 23rd May 2017
Stewart Segal is the Director of Strategy and Policy at 3aaa Apprenticeships and has many years experience and knowledge in the education and Apprenticeships sectors. With so many changes in the education sector this year, Stewart gave an in-depth Apprenticeship Levy policy update at a recent conference to keep us up to date on all the changes that are currently happening. Watch Stewart’s update now:
The Impact Of The General Election
Stewart started by explaining the impact the General Election will have on the education industry and in particular, Apprenticeship programmes. He reassured guests that skills development will still be at the top of the Government’s agenda and Apprenticeships are the way forward for increased productivity in the workplace. Stewart did however, discuss the possible change in emphasis to outcomes and quality once the new Government is elected. The target of 3 million new Apprenticeships by 2020 was also discussed and Stewart explained how 3aaa Apprenticeships believe there will still be a target for, and further commitments from, local authorities and the new Government.
Institute for Apprenticeships
Stewart’s Apprenticeship Levy policy update explained that 3aaa Apprenticeships think the Government’s Institute for Apprenticeships will stay on track after the Election. This newly built organisation was created to ensure that employers are involved in the development of Apprenticeship programmes, rather than just simply being a part of the delivery of them.
Stewart explained how this Institute will cover a wide range of technical training and education, as well as having a bigger role in the quality management of Apprenticeships. The Institute for Apprenticeships will work with Ofsted and Ofqual and although they are independent of the Government, they will work to a set of conditions with annual reporting.
Apprenticeship Levy Spend
The next part of the policy update looked at Apprenticeship Levy spend. As employers are now making regular Levy payments, via their PAYE scheme, Stewart discussed how organisations can get substantial value for money from this commitment as it can really help drive business growth. He said;
“This is about ensuring good value and making sure that, essentially what the Apprenticeship Levy is doing is effecting the bottom line. It can be flexible but it is important that you have a think about what the 2-year plan means. The programmes are between 13-24 months long and it is important that you understand what that spend is for each programme and how that money will be spent.”
The Apprenticeship System
The Apprenticeship System is now available for all Levy employers and in his update Stewart discussed the registration process, the functions of the Apprenticeship System and how 3aaa Apprenticeships can help all employers effected through this process.
Stewart also explained how the Apprenticeship System can support employers with important aspects of the Apprenticeship Levy, such as tracking spend and showing the variety of courses that are available to them.
Pathway To Management
To help businesses across England utilise their Apprenticeship Levy, 3aaa Apprenticeships have created a new Apprenticeship Programme; The Pathway To Management. This programme means that employees will do levels of training, starting at Team Leader all the way to Chartered Manager. In his update, Stewart explained how 3aaa Apprenticeships will look at the timings of these levels with employers to ensure their staff are being properly developed.
20% Off-The-Job Training
20% off-the-job training is one of the main things employers are concerned about when it comes to Apprenticeships.
Stewart explained that the Government want a commitment from employers towards their Apprentices, so that Apprentices get 20% of their time learning things outside of the normal day-to-day working environment. This will lead towards the achievement of an Apprenticeship and mainly consists of academy or classroom learning. Stewart then gave some examples of how this can easily be done in different organisations.
3aaa Apprenticeships can help employers understand 20% off-the-job training and how all of our programmes involve learning that is outside their normal working environment, meaning that the programmes include the 20% off-the-job training as part of an Apprentice’s development.
For more information on the Apprenticeship Levy or if you would like to know more about how 3aaa Apprenticeships can help you practically implement your Apprenticeship Levy strategy contact our Apprenticeship Levy Management Team on 0330 124 3224 or email apprenticeshiplevy@3aaa.co.uk