The government estimate that almost 12,000 people have started an apprenticeship in schools in England between April 2017 and March 2019. Over 2,000 maintained schools across England have taken on at least one apprentice in the last two years and hundreds
more are exploring how to do the same using the apprenticeship levy.
But thousands of schools are still missing out on an apprenticeship and the benefits they can offer to your workforce. From upskilling existing staff members to bringing young people into the organisation. From underpinning your retention strategy to developing
succession plans, Apprenticeships offer a huge opportunity to support your workforce, develop skills and tackle hotspots. If you want to find out more about how apprentices are benefitting the schools workforce, you can hear direct from a teacher on the
Amazing Apprenticeships site or read several case studies from schools in the government publication
Guide to apprenticeships in the schools workforce.
Apprenticeship Programme Data
Bradford Council has set on 540 apprentices from the start of the Apprenticeship levy in May 2017.
187 of these have been based in schools. 42 schools out of 73 are currently spending their levy. (A further 11 schools accessed the levy but have now converted to an Academy).
Apprenticeship Qualifications being undertaken in Schools:-
- Supporting Teaching and Learning (Level 2 and 3)
- Children and Young People Workforce (Level 2 and 3)
- Business Admin (Level 2 and 3)
- Infrastructure Technician – (Level 3 & 4)
- HR Consultant/Partner (Level 5)
- Cleaning and Environment (Level 2)
- Hospitality (Level 2)
- Play Worker (Level 3)
Apprenticeship Target to include:
- 30% Black and Minority Ethnic (BME)
- 10% People with special educational needs or disabilities
- We aim to offer a traineeship or apprenticeship to every young person leaving Authority care
Bradford Council will be working with organisations that have specialist knowledge of supporting people with learning disabilities and autism into work.
Apprenticeship Qualification Training for Existing Staff
Apprenticeship qualification training is also available to existing staff. There are over a hundred different apprenticeship qualification training on our framework, with approved training providers in place and apprenticeship training available nationally
across more than seventy different industries.
There are various levels of apprenticeship qualifications:
- Intermediate apprenticeship (level 2)
- Advanced apprenticeship (level 3)
- Higher apprenticeship (levels 4 to 5)
- Degree apprenticeship (levels 6 and 7)
Apprenticeship frameworks will be switched off from August 2020 and all will be moved onto an apprenticeship standard.
- Qualification’s must be relevant to the role, or enough duties need to be undertaken at the higher-level role to satisfy the requirements of the qualification
- 20% of an employees contracted working hours needs to be undertaken for off-the-job training, which can include day-release with a training provider, online learning and shadowing others members of staff
- Prior to starting any apprenticeship qualification, each individual will be required to take an assessment with the training provider in Maths and English (and ICT depending on the qualification). Dependant on the outcome of this assessment the apprenticeship
may include functional skills training (Maths & English).
- Prior Learning - Please note:- All apprentices now have to undertake a ‘Skills Scan’ this is conducted to assess the experience and skills of the person requiring the qualification. Depending on the outcome if the person already has enough
experience in the job role or prior learning, regardless of them not having the qualification, they will not be eligible for the apprenticeship qualification and we will not be able to fund via the levy due to the funding rules.
(This is in the main for existing staff who wish to up-skill).
The A-Z of Apprenticeships for Schools:
Click on each link to read the Apprenticeship Standard, which describes the knowledge, skills and behaviours achieved through each apprenticeship. Each apprenticeship standard document also includes the typical duration and any entry requirements for the apprenticeship.
You can also explore the full list of 600 apprenticeships available and in development on the Institute for
Apprenticeships & Technical Education website.
Please note that if an apprenticeship is through the new standard route then the duration will be longer. The length of the apprenticeship will also need to take in to account the End Point Assessment (EPA) which will be 3 months from the
end of the apprenticeship training. The school will need to consider employing an apprentice longer and will need to factor in the year 2 salary rate, equivalent to the national minimum wage for age.
Procurement Process and Training Providers
The Council has undertaken a procurement process for training providers and
only those on the framework can be used for apprenticeship training.
When arranging apprenticeship training please contact the Learning and Development Academy Team to check what levy is available to spend and the
preferred training provider for that apprenticeship qualification. PLEASE DO NOT ARRANGE APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING DIRECTLY WITH A TRAINING PROVIDER
before contacting the L&D Team as the apprenticeship training will not be approved.
Apprenticeship Levy and Academy Transfer
- If school does not use its Apprenticeship Levy for apprenticeship training the levy is time-limited (2 years) and school will lose this money.
Please note once the levy goes into the digital account the money belongs to HMRC and any unspent levy goes back to Central Government.
If your school converts to an Academy, the Levy will then transfer over to the Trust and all arranged training will be stopped from the Councils Levy and reinstated from the Trusts levy account.
All future levy will be paid into the Trusts account on a monthly basis and money not spent in the Councils levy will be lost from the date of transfer.
- Payroll – If your school changes to another payroll provider instead of Bradford Council, school must arrange to get a
Gateway ID Number and Password from HMRC. This then needs to be passed onto the L&D Academy Team for school to be set up on the Councils Digital Apprenticeship Service Account.
Apprenticeship training funding cannot be accessed until this has been set up.
What is a Supported Internship?
Supported Internships are for young people with learning difficulties and/or autism spectrum conditions aged 16 to 24 who want to move into employment and need extra support to do so.
- Initially, a young person’s skills will be matched with a host employer. This allows the young person to access real work environments to learn new skills, develop existing talents & grown in self confidence in preparation for employment & a more fulfilled
future.
- An experienced Job Coach, works with the employer to ‘carve’ a position that is both of use to the employer and is relevant to the Interns’ skills and aspirations. Throughout the Internship the young person is fully supported by the Job Coach.
- The main purpose is to give the young person experience in the workplace, therefore there is no expectation that the young person will receive payment.
- Placements can be in school kitchens, routine IT work etc.
To gain further information or if you can host a placement please contact Sue Webster at
sue.webster@bradford.gov.uk or if you wish to attend the Employers Forum meeting please book your place here:-
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bradford-employers-forum-tickets-94810493739
Further Information
For further information about apprenticeships please contact a member of the Learning and Development Academy Team:
Learning and Development Academy Officers:-
Sadaf Iqbal - 01274 43 1479
Meena Mistry - 01274 43 4451
Senior Learning and Development Academy Officer
Elaine Mallinson - 01274 43 4450
Or email the team apprenticeships@bradford.gov.uk