Apprenticeship Quality and Growth in England: An International Perspective:Why Aren’t We As Good as the Germans?

Richard Marsh - 2011

Richard.marsh@apprenticeships.gov.uk

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Contents

English Apprenticeship system background

Progress, successes and issues

International comparison

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Apprenticeships in EnglandOverview

• Long history of Apprenticeships in England, literally for hundreds of years

• Recent successive governments support for reinvigorating the programme

• A managed programme with big government investment (£1.5billion in 2010/11)

• An expanding programme with over 400,000 apprentices on 200 Apprenticeships programmes in 2010/11

• Modern, online application, matching and support tools

• A programme for all ages (16+) and increasingly at all academic levels

“Learning through practise alongside and under the guidance of an expert practioner is the most effective way, to transmit professional experience and skills from one generation to the next”

Dr Nyahn ‘rediscovering apprenticeships’ Springer 2009

What are apprenticeships for?

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Apprenticeships in England Overview

• In England Apprentices are employed people who receive official, structured training

• This is normally delivered 1 day per week at a vocational provider (college or commercial company)

• They normally work 4 days per week or more

• But the programme is flexible – the employer decides how it is delivered and the contents of the course

• High School (level 2) Technician (L3 Advanced) University (L4 Higher)

• Apprenticeships are for young people starting work

• Apprenticeships are also to upskill workers and make them higher skill

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Apprenticeships in England

Funding from Government forTraining costs = 100% age 16-18Training costs = 50% age 19+*

The Apprentice’s wages are paid by their employer

Each apprentice must have an employer and be paid.

About 130,000 employers in England have apprentices

Each apprentice must have a registered training provider (which can also be their employer)

There 1,100 providers in England

Government funded apprentices must study one of 200 Apprenticeship ‘qualification framework’ areas.

Frameworks are at European qualification framework levels 2, 3, or 4

* reducing to 40% age 25 and over, age relates to age at start of programmes

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Rising numbers of apprentices

• 160,000* people started an Apprenticeship in 2001• 400,000+* people expected to start an apprentice in 2010/11• 500,000 year by 2014?

* Figures rounded for presentation

Academic

Year

2005/2006

2006/2007

2007/2008

2008/2009

2009/2010

2010/11 estimated

           

           

           

           

           

           

           

Starts 175,000 185,000 225,000 240,000 280,000 400,000+

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Success rates

In 2000 – 70%* of starters did not complete their Apprenticeship programmeIn 2010 – 75% *of starters will successfully complete their programme

* Figures rounded for presentation

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Most popular Apprenticeships

Framework and starts 2008/09 2009/10

Customer Service 22,100 29,400

Business Administration 20,500 26,500

Hospitality and Catering 16,100 20,900

Children's Care Learning and Development 16,900 19,600

Health and Social Care 12,000 17,400

Retail 10,700 16,800

Hairdressing 15,900 15,800

Engineering 14,700 14,500

Construction 15,700 13,400

Active Leisure and Learning 7,800 10,800

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Apprenticeship starts byAcademic Level(Qualification Credit Framework)

Level 2008/09 2009/10 Difference

Level 2 155,300 187,000 31,700 20%

Level 3 78,600 85,400 6,800 9%

Level 4 100 1,500 1,400 n/a

Overall 240,000 280,000 39,900 170%

Starts are increasing at all academic levels

With Intermediate (level 2) starts rising fastest

The Specification for Apprenticeship Standards

in England (SASE)

‘SASE’ sets out a common blueprint for all Apprenticeships from April 2011

Each framework contains 5 core elements delivered through a minimum of 280 guided learning

hours per year (although the average framework GLH is much more than 300)

1)Theoretical knowledge – understanding the vocational area and subject theory

2) Competence – assessment that you can perform the core job tasks well and consistently

3) Transferable Skills (English, Maths and option for I.C.T. )

4) Personal Learning and thinking Skills (PLTS) – learning to learn and work in teams

5) Employee rights and responsibilities – (ERR) what does it mean to be an employee?

SASE also requires all Apprenticeship frameworks include these non learning elements

• Equality and Diversity assessment – is the opportunity available for everybody?

• Entry Conditions – are the requirements of entry to the sector clear?

• Progression Routes – how to do you get to this level – where can you go after?

• A contract of employment and an Apprenticeship agreement (provider, employer and Apprentice)

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Apprenticeship positives in England

• The size of the programme continues to grow strongly based on employer and individual demand

• All Apprentices now have an employer and receive a wage

• It is an all age programme and covers many industries and job roles

• Employer and Learner satisfaction with their experience is improving

• SASE brings in a new standard for Apprenticeships in England

• Online matching service makes application and recruitment easy

“ The English Apprenticeship system is flexible and allows for tailor-made training solutions for employers and this remains its inherent strength”

Learning for Jobs, 2009 OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training, England

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Apprenticeship issues in England

• Not enough large sized employers offering Apprentice opportunities

• Quality is improving and good but pockets of bad practice still exist

• The Apprenticeship programme is still heavily segregated by sex and ethnicity in some areas and sectors, reflecting the overall job market

• Growth in Advanced and Higher (level 3+) Apprenticeships has been slower than in entry level 2 Apprenticeships, lowering the academic mean of the overall programme

• There is a need to encourage more Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) based Apprenticeships

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International paradigms – English system

With 500,000 ‘in learning’ apprentices we now have probably the 4th biggest Apprenticeship programme in the world after Germany, France, and Australia in absolute terms (Italy also about 500,000 Apprentices)

Our success rates are also now amongst the worlds best

Our system is delivered through 1,100 high quality training providers toemployers who can choose between them – it’s a free market

Courses are based on employer needs and agreed occupational standards

Learning is personalised and tailored – not one size fits all

We have an all age, all sector programme with a single recruitment gateway

ISSUE English response

Not enough employers offer apprentices in England True but this is changing thanks to NAS and provider work;

•in 2008 130,000 workplaces had apprentices •in 2010 160,000 had – even as PLA phased out

We are not at German / Swiss levels yet but getting better

In Germany employers have to join and pay the chamber of

commerce who conduct the work based assessment and still only

17% of SMEs in Germany have Apprentices

In France, Holland etc employers have to pay training levies etc

We operate an employer choice system – no compulsion

World bank 2010 – ‘UK easiest place in Europe to do business’

English Apprenticeships are too easy / too short (Wolf)

We have frameworks at levels 2-5 to suit the associated job roles

Short? – we offer a tailored programme based on a common platform (SASE) which stipulates min hours of 280 GLH PA the ave is much higher

Our system is based on personalised learning– we are the most flexible in this regards

English Apprentices are paid too highly

(Steedman et al)

But is low pay a problem? Employers could pay as little as £2.50 but choose to pay £5ph average

In 2010 25% of German Apprentices had to take on part-time jobs as apprentice pay there is so low [BIBB 2010] and 67% were ‘dissatisfied’ with their pay

International comparisons – are we that bad?

We should pay employers to take Apprentices (Wolf)

Growth has been achieved without subsidy

Payments could add another level of bureaucracy and risk

Dual system is better

(College for key skills & theory

Competency at workplace)

An employer here can decide how they want training delivered

They can have a college based day release dual system or keep it all in house – our employers decide not the state

Employer choice / ownership

German employers have more ownership

Yes they organise more of the training and pay for more of it

As above employers can organise it all (150 do) but most choose to outsource it to the licensed gov provider

English programme is too prescribed

SASE sets a min core only - employers and providers are free to add as much as they want

Employers would not want regionalised or federal systems (Germany / Switzerland etc) and already complain about differences within the UK

Success rates Now at 74% and comparable to others

Switzerland best at 90% (Steedman 2010)

Germany 75% average (Steedman 2010)

International comparisons – are we that bad?

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Our future plans

• Specification for Apprenticeship Standards in England will set a new academic framework for Apprenticeships in England from April 2011

• Major growth to be in academic Level 3 and above programmes [Advanced and Higher programmes]

• Continue to make it easier and more rewarding for employers to employ apprentices

• Use of competition such as World Skills London 2011 to embed excellence

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The National Apprenticeship Service

• Founded in April 2009 to offer support to all parties

• Helps create new Apprenticeship markets

• Provides support to employers interested in starting Apprenticeship programmes (30,000 since its inception)

• Informs individuals, stakeholders and partners about Apprenticeships

• Develops new internet based tools and guides apprenticeships.org.uk

• Oversees the growth of the Apprenticeship programme and monitors quality

For more information regarding Apprenticeships in England

please contact; Richard.marsh@apprenticeships.gov.uk