Businesses have been benefiting from the introduction of new apprenticeship standards that are gradually replacing the former framework qualifications with additional elements of endpoint assessment including tests and face to face discussions.
The College has now added the new apprenticeship standards for HR practitioners to its portfolio starting from Level 3 and leading to the HR Professional qualification. Students from Coventry Hospital have been signing up with the support of their employer, as well as many others from within the manufacturing sector.
New standards include an associate project manager apprenticeship with teaching based at the MIRA Technology Institute (MTI) near Nuneaton and Hinckley, a new specialist centre that focuses on skills development for the automotive industry. The project management apprenticeship, however, is appropriate for any sector or industry. The MTI also offers apprenticeships across the range of automotive engineering including electric and hybrid vehicle maintenance.
Other new standards include customer service specialist, digital marketer, event assistant, plus qualification to suit multiple job roles within retail and hospitality. The customer service standard has been broadened to include back office elements such as data and customer relationship management.
In response to issues highlighted by local employers in the tech sector, the College is collaborating on a joint venture to increase the number of digital apprenticeships so that businesses can grow their own talent and future-proof their business in this burgeoning sector. Digital West Midlands is a collaboration between three partner colleges, Warwickshire College Group (WCG), Coventry College, and North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College.
The College is keen to reassure businesses that taking on an apprentice can be easy and rewarding. The College itself employs seven apprentices across a range of disciplines including within the Midland Academies Trust group of schools.
Katy Urwin, director for apprenticeships at the College said, “Levy payers are really starting to see how investing in apprenticeships can bear fruit for their businesses. We are happy to help them to manage their digital apprenticeship accounts, and training providers can now gain direct access to the accounts to assist with training budget administration.
“Non-levy payers should remember that they will pay only 10 percent of the cost of training an apprentice, with the government supplying 90 percent of the funding. This proportion will increase to 95 percent from 1 April 2019. Employers can also benefit from a £1,000 incentive by employing an apprentice aged 16-18, or aged 19-24 with an education, health and care plan (EHCP).
“Organisations need not be concerned about the requirement for their apprentice to spend 20 percent of their time ‘off the job’ while training. This aspect is highly flexible and does not necessarily mean that the apprentice is away from the workplace for a day or a week at a time. The day release model still applies within some sectors such as engineering, but in a business support function, off the job training can be managed through mentoring, distance learning and work shadowing. We work with employers to design creative ways to ensure that business as usual is not disrupted while their apprentice acquires the skills that they need to achieve these valuable qualifications.”
Fact file
- The College trains around 1,800 Apprentices across seven main sector areas
- Its success rate of 80.3% is above the national average
- It works with more than 600 employer partners
- The College has extensive experience in working with small, medium and large employers across a range of industries
- It provides ongoing support from assessors with in-depth knowledge of each industry
- The College has central, easy to access locations across North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire.
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