In 2017 the Government is changing the way Apprenticeships are defined and accessed

Appenticeships are primarily designed to achieve two goals:

• To introduce new workers into their chosen vocation.
  
• Reduce National unemployment and benefit payments.

Apprenticeships are ideal for employers to train new recruits (young and old) in order to establish a career in the HSC/CYP sectors - but remains a problematic and surprisingly expensive approach for existing staff qualification and progression.

The main points are that an existing member of staff on an Apprenticeship Scheme would:

• have to acquire substantive new skills and the training would have to be materially different from any prior training or a previous apprenticeship to qualify
• have to achieve 'extra' Apprenticeship only modules not necessarily required for their position
• spend at least 20% of their time on off-the-job training - costing the employer at least an extra approx £2600 for cover

In recent years the apprenticeship scheme has been manipulated in order to fit many different situations primarily to satisfy funding requirements.

The Government is now seeking to control both the meaning of the word 'Apprenticeship' and the situations funding can be used.

In their new publications the Government has defined terms which describe an Apprentice to include:

• the apprentice must be employed in a real job; they may be an existing employee or a new hire
  
• the apprentice must work towards achieving an approved apprenticeship standard or apprenticeship framework
  
• the apprenticeship training must last at least 12 months
  
• the apprentice must spend at least 20% of their time on off-the-job training

Where there is an issue of re-training the publications state that :

"... employers should be able to use funds in their digital account and access Government co-investment support to train individuals to undertake an apprenticeship provided the training will allow them to acquire substantive new skills, and the content of the training is materially different from any prior training or a previous apprenticeship."

The current level of co-funding suggested for apprenticeships (for non-levy paying employers) is 10% employer contribution and 90% government contribution.

The current level set for maximum total apprenticeship spend per apprentice is:

• £2,500 for Children and Young People's Workforce
• £2,000 for Health and Social Care Adults

Further clarification has been stipulated on what the funding can actually be used for.

Recent publications state that funds" .. can only be used towards the costs of apprenticeship training and end point assessment."

The Government will enforce the new system by processing all funding via a digital apprenticeship system - thereby ensuring that employers make direct financial contributions rather than 'in kind' type transactions.

Based on the new scheme -for each Apprentice on a CYP apprenticeship - a non-levy paying employer will have to pay for an existing full-time (35 hrs) member of staff aged over 25 years old on minimum wage:

10% contribution to actual training amount - £250

12months off job training cover at 20% of time ( x £7.20) - £2620.80

Total = £2870.80*

*Based on 12month course only.

Existing staff will also have to complete a number of additional modules such as :- Employment Responsibilities & Rights, English, Mathematics and ICT Functional Skills. These modules are not a statutory qualification requirement.

Is there a different way?

Qualifying and investing in progression of your existing staff can be achieved easier and cheaper by using Work-Based Assessment.

A partnership with NVQ Academy would offer advantages over Apprenticeship-type provisions in the following areas:

• Consistency

• Delivery & Experience

• Cost & Efficiency

• Customisation & Integration

Consistency

NVQ Academy operates throughout England - enabling larger companies to work with a single provider across all locations. Our  larger Customers like to adopt an organisation wide approach to Diplomas to ensure more consistency. NVQ Academy is able to offer a number of Qualifications in both the Children and Adult sectors to meet your requirements -as listed at the bottom of this email.

Delivery and Experience

Our mode of delivery – we believe – is unique and has been tried and tested with our Customers since 1996.

• We ONLY offer qualifications in the Care and Child-Care/Education environments – ensuring we are always totally current and informed.
• NVQ Academy creates a working Partnership with the Organisation in order to qualify its Specialist Workforce. Together we ensure that the Qualification is customised and personalised to complement their particular Specialism.
• We do not draw down “funding” from the government and other sources. This is to ensure specialist Qualifications are delivered in their purest form – thereby avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy, extra paperwork etc.
• We work on the principle that all evidence for the qualification should be gained from REAL work – and can be accessed any time of day or night. To achieve this we DO NOT use Peripatetic (visiting) Assessors. Not using visiting Assessors also has many other benefits - including safeguarding issues and security.

The requirement on the part of the Organisation is that they provide at least one senior member of staff at each unique assessment site to be the Work Based Assessor. Each assessor would need to available to spend approximately one hour per week with each Candidate to achieve the Qualification which takes on average anywhere between 15 weeks and nine months to fully complete. NVQ Academy train, verify and qualify to the National Recognised Standards each Work Based assessor absolutely free of charge**.

Cost and Efficiency

Our system ensures there are no “hidden extras” in costs, no time-owing, no overtime, no away training days (all knowledge requirements are met in conjunction with Customer's own mandatory and specialist training programmes).

No requirements for experienced staff to undertake additional modules of Employment Responsibilities & Rights and English, Mathematics and ICT Functional Skills to justify funding obligations. Modules which are not actually required by legislation covering Children's Homes Regulations and other Care and Children Services.

All assessment is both Internally and Externally Verified to meet National Standards through statutory Awarding Bodies.

Our normal price for Level 3 QCF Diploma in Residential Childcare is £675 + vat fully inclusive per Candidate.*

This price could be reduced to our lowest of £600 + vat per Candidate* based on larger numbers of Candidates.

Customisation and Integration

By working with one provider there are potential benefits for customisation of qualifications to incorporate your own unique philosophy, practice and specialist provision.

Some customers have felt that the QCF Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare is somewhat restrictive – and does not fully reflect their unique specialist qualities. They have worked with us to customise and streamline the qualification to reflect their company needs by including additional units from the Level 3 Diploma for Children and Young Peoples Workforce qualification.

For those not aware of the concept of Work-Based Assessment - it is worth noting that the practice by itself offers a great deal of customisation.

Using college-based or peripatetic assessment is - by its very nature - limiting and generic.

Candidates attending generic knowledge evidence events will not be looking at specialisms or understanding how National Policy and Procedures is integrated in your particular Specialist Environment - or indeed understanding additional polices and ways of working that forms part of your philosophy.

Peripatetic (visiting) Assessors – with the best will in the world - will not have the required insider specialism to judge knowledge or skills of Candidates working to the your own unique brand of specialisation.

Our mission has always been to work directly with the specialism of our Customers. The National Standards may appear to be generic – but NVQ Academy’s EXCLUSIVE use of Work Based Assessors ensure that the Standards work for you and your specialism – rather than having to adapt practices to meet the national standards. We utilise/integrate Candidate training in order to make use our Customers’ specialist and mandatory staff development/training to meet knowledge requirements.

To clarify this a little further – because NVQ Academy Work-Based Assessors and Candidates work together on a day to day basis – they are able to work with (and thoroughly analyse) REAL work activities together and agree where their specialist practice, skills and unique knowledge meet the national standards. A peripatetic (visiting) assessor is only in a position to make a judgment of competence through a “snap-shot” decision of an often artificial scenario.

We believe the presence and availability of a Work-Based Assessor maintains high standards of performance – and supports a specialist environment 24 hours a day. The Assessor is not a judge – but more a mentor, supporter, developer and colleague. The Assessor is key to the success of NVQ Academy philosophy and therefore we ensure they are fully supported, trained, standardised and informed to maintain enthusiasm and qualify the workforce.

More Information

NVQ Academy System

Work-Based Assessors

Case Studies

* subject to the availability of a senior member of staff at each unique assessment site to take on the role of Work Based Assessor
**Qualification of Work-Based Assessor is subject to Assessor -Candidate's input in achieving their award and reaching National Standards

NVQ Academy offers the following Awards throughout England - prices from £675 + VAT per Candidate* for Level 3 Diplomas:

• QCF Diploma Level 3 Residential Childcare
• QCF Diploma Level 5 Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare
• QCF Diploma Level 3 Children and Young People's Workforce - Social Care Pathway - Learning and Development Pathway
• QCF Diploma Level 3 Health and Social Care Adults - General Pathway - Learning Disability Pathway - Dementia Pathway
• QCF Diploma Level 5 in Leadership for Children and Young People Services - Residential Management Pathway - Management Pathway - Advanced Practice Pathway
• QCF Diploma Level 5 in Leadership for Health and Social Care Services - Residential Management Pathway - Management Pathway -Advanced Practice Pathway
• QCF Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment or Level 3 Certificate Assessing Vocational Achievement - offered as part of Diploma Packages

QCF (NVQ) Diploma and Apprenticeship Comparison