Apprenticeship Partnerships - The Recipe for Success!

We’re having a wonderfully busy week for National Apprenticeship Week 2024! As we celebrate the invaluable contributions of apprenticeships to the hospitality industry, it's crucial to shine a light on the pivotal role employers play.

At Umbrella Training, we understand that true partnerships between ourselves, employers, and the learners is the cornerstone of a successful apprenticeship program.

Picture this, a budding apprentice brimming with potential, eager to learn and grow. Yet, without adequate support from their manager, their journey becomes fraught with obstacles. In a report commissioned by the Learning and Work Institute in 2022, where 2500 apprentices were reviewed, 900 had withdrawn before the end of their programme. The largest cited reason was the lack of employer support with a huge 37% of learners. This has tracked year on year as the main reason for apprentices leaving their programme and further detailed reports for our sector will be released soon detailing this.

Manager Support is The Backbone of Apprenticeship Success

Apprenticeship training is not like your internal workshops or your paid piece of supplier training. You don’t hand off all the development to your provider and with some internal follow up, see change. At Umbrella Training, we follow the 70:20:10 model. Your apprentices are your employees and in workplace delivery, are with you 70% of the time.

They are for most of the time, learning with you, on job, doing what they do as part of their day to day and demonstrating their new taught behaviours. Your provider supports 10% in monthly group knowledge and skills workshops as well as 1:2:1 coaching and reviews. 20% still sits with you as Off the Job Training (I’ll get to that shortly!)

As you can see from that, it’s not merely about assigning tasks; it's about carving out dedicated time for learners to fulfil their off-the-job hours—a vital component of apprenticeship requirements. Managers, your active involvement can make all the difference in nurturing your talent!

Demystifying Off-the-Job Hours

Off-the-job hours—an enigma to many. But fear not, for clarity awaits!

Off the job hours were put into the rules to ensure that employers who were accruing levy, were giving the learners dedicated time to learn in a productive environment, in their working hours, at work. These hours fit into the apprentice’s normal working weekly hours and yes, you must pay the learners for these hours.

The current rules average out roughly 6 hours a week, or the equivalent of 20% of their working hours should be dedicated to their apprenticeship. Now don’t be fearful, we know in our sector it can’t happen every week due to high business demands, but it is important to maximise when there is time available. Here at Umbrella, we prefer to call this Protected Apprenticeship Time – makes a lot more sense!

These hours encompass structured learning activities that can be related directly to what they are doing day to day or could be stretch and challenge projects away from the apprentice's usual work duties. Whether it's internal workshops, or independent study, they all contribute to the blended learning development of apprentices. Employers, understanding and accommodating these hours is paramount to the learner developing but fundamentally, completing their apprenticeship.

For more information about Off the Job Hours

The Power of Tripartite Reviews

Enter the tripartite review—a strategic rendezvous where manager, learner, and training provider come together to assess the progress, address challenges, and set goals for the learner.

These reviews should take place every 12 weeks and serve as the compass guiding apprentices on their journey. Think of them just like you would your internal 1:2:1’s or coffee chats, it’s as vital to your organisation’s people strategy as it is to us and your learner’s development.

We are regularly with your apprentice, but this is dedicated time for you to attend to ensure the learner is on track and you can offer further advice.

Within each review we measure what we call distance travelled – this is the measurement of where the learner has grown their knowledge, skill and behaviour competencies from review to review.

Overcoming the Functional Skills Barrier

Ah, functional skills—a formidable hurdle for many employers. Yet, they are the linchpin of apprenticeship delivery. For learners who already have a Grade C/Grade 4 or above in GCSE or equivalent qualification in English and Maths, the learners do not need to sit functional skills English or maths exams as part of their programme.

However, from numeracy to literacy, these skills underpin professional competence and as a provider we still have the responsibility to develop these in your apprentices but remember, support is key.

For learners who need further support, which we have in abundance, yourselves offering English lessons or further math support demonstrates your commitment to their success.

In conclusion, the success of apprenticeship programs hinges on the strength of our partnerships.

Here at Umbrella Training, every new apprentice’s manager who joins us, must go through our Manager Insights sessions so that they really get what their role is as part of the journey and their responsibilities alongside us. Employers, by shouldering your responsibilities with diligence and dedication, you not only enrich the learning experience but also cultivate a talent pool equipped with a skill set for greatness.  

For more information, please reach out to us here

Written Jenni Clarke, Commercial Director Umbrella Training

Reference https://feweek.co.uk/why-do-so-many-apprentices-drop-out-new-research-offers-answers/