The Chartered Institute of Building submission to the The Department for Business Innovation & Skills On the consultation on The Future of Apprenticeships in England: Next Steps from the Richard Review 21 st May 2013 The Chartered Institute of Building Englemere, Kings Ride Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7TB
The Future of Apprenticeships in England: Next Steps from the Richard Review Introduction The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is at the heart of a management career in construction. We focus on those entering and already in a management career in construction by delivering qualifications and certifications that meet the needs of a changing industry. We work with members, employers, academia and governments across the globe to drive forward the science and practice of management in construction. We welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation and we are happy to be involved in the debate as it develops. General comments The CIOB supports the creation of more diverse, high quality routes into work, particularly by strengthening the quality of apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications. This should include early exposure to the workplace and reinvigorating the provision of high quality training placements, paid jobs and career advice. The CIOB regularly raises the issue in the public light of issues affecting skills in the construction industry, not least skills shortages and the role of apprenticeships, through our annual skills survey, the most recent of which can be found here: www.ciob.org.uk/node/30024 Our submission has been developed for the public benefit and is also informed by feedback from our members. Institute of Building (CIOB) Response 1. How can we ensure that every Apprenticeship delivers substantial new skills? We are in agreement with the Richard Review s recommendations that an apprenticeship requires a job that is new to the individual and requires them to learn a substantial amount before they can do the job effectively. For those who are already experienced and competent in their roles then an alternative to an apprenticeship should be sought. An apprenticeship should be a journey from a novice to an expert to help them excel at the job in hand. However, it should be noted that core competencies need to be developed to allow these skills to be utilised in other roles outside the organisation and job sector.
We believe that apprenticeships are an excellent way of learning new skills, particularly in the face of a changing job market and the rise of tuition fees which has led many young people to seek alternatives to University. The benefits and opportunities of apprenticeships need to be promoted. An apprenticeship should gear younger generations for working in a real job, rather than vocational study. For example, in the construction industry, apprentices learn in the workplace alongside other employees and develop further skills and knowledge in the classroom at local learning providers enabling the learner to develop knowledge and occupational skills. It is vital that we continue to challenge and support our young people and aim for higher-level skills in occupations with skills shortages. We envisage level 3 or above being an optimal target. 2. How should we invite and enable employers to come together to design new standards for Apprenticeships? Professional bodies and trade associations would be best placed to offer this service. For example, our Training Partnerships (TP) programmes offer joint ventures between companies and the CIOB with a common aim of developing a fully trained workforce throughout the construction industry. TP s enable us to match the requirements of the staff of the company concerned, allowing us to cater for variances in age, experience or qualifications. We then source the required training, whether this be in-house or through external providers. This partnership offers benefits to all parties involved to understand the needs of the industry and to develop employees experience, qualifications and competence to meet those needs. 3. What are your views on the proposed criteria for Apprenticeship standards as set out above? We are in agreement with the proposed criteria. But would add that the apprenticeship must involve the attainment of a recognised qualification preferably one which is entered on to a qualifications framework to ensure learner progression and that the qualification has transferable credit. 4. Should there be only one standard per Apprentice occupation/job role? We would recommend that there should be flexibility in the offer. The construction industry is diverse and the needs of a particular job role in a small or medium sized business would differ greatly from those of a big contractor. Therefore, a greater range of frameworks per occupation will facilitate a tailored approach to the employer needs. 5. Should there be only one qualification per standard?
We would question the legality of such a move and would strongly advise against it for the reasons outlined above. Those site managers working for a small/medium sized company could need more technical training while those working for a large contractor may need more project management training. 6. How should we manage the transition from the current system of Apprenticeship frameworks to a new system of employerdesigned Apprenticeship standards and qualifications? Currently, employers in the construction industry do not drive the design of the apprenticeship framework although the systems are in place for the construction industry to engage in the development of apprenticeships. The current system is based on developing frameworks using the National Occupational Standards for a job role and demonstrating employer demand. The issues we have with unsuitable frameworks being developed are caused by funding mechanisms that distort the market in favour of a particular qualification which may not be a qualification favoured by employers. It is therefore important that a transition phase is managed accordingly with employers consulted through professional bodies and trade organisations which must provide real evidence of demand for frameworks as part of the funding requirements. 7. How can we make sure that the new standards stay relevant to employers, and are not compromised over time? See our response to questions 4 and 5. 8. How can we ensure that employers are better engaged with the development and oversight of the assessment in apprenticeships? The frameworks should be linked to professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs) requirements to ensure continuous review and currency of content. 9. How could employers best be involved in the practical delivery of assessment? We would strongly recommend that any employer engaged in assessment is qualified to do so. Therefore, a qualified assessor for National Vocational Qualifications is best placed to carry out competence assessment. There may be a conflict of interest in terms of an employer being engaged in assessing his/her employee and this could be uncomfortable for both parties. Peer review with other local employers may be the best way to achieve employer engagement in the assessment of apprentices. 10. How can the independence and consistency of assessment in Apprenticeships be further improved?
It is worth remembering that an apprenticeship framework needs to be about learning technical knowledge and developing skills and competence in the job role. The assessment of these two areas requires different approaches. For this reason we favour a knowledge based qualification such as a higher national certificate which is assessed externally and the assessment can be loaded towards the end phase of the qualification. However, the competence based assessment must be continuous in order to be meaningful and must be carried out in the workplace. The National Vocational Qualifications are the best medium for assessing competence. 11. How should we implement end point assessment for Apprenticeships? The qualifications that make up an apprenticeship framework must be subject to regulation by a quality body. The end point assessment is only appropriate for the technical certificate element of an apprenticeship framework. Competence needs to be assessed continually for it to be a meaningful endeavor for the student. 12. How should we implement grading for Apprenticeship qualifications? Grading can be applied to knowledge based qualifications but it is not appropriate for competence qualifications. 13. What are the specific obstacles to all Apprentices achieving level 2 English and maths as part of their Apprenticeship, and how could these be overcome? The manner in which the English and Maths at Level 2 are delivered as separate components is an obstacle in the following ways: 1. It complicates the framework so that many learners are unsure of what they need to do to complete. 2. It forces learners back into the theoretical method of teaching maths and English for a candidate who is likely to be better at practical work rather than academic. It is therefore a good idea to ensure that the maths is delivered as applied maths linked to the occupational skills and the English as a communication skill for the occupation. 14. How would a requirement to have all Apprentices achieve level 2 in English and maths impact on employers, providers and potential learners? What are the risks and potential solutions? We are in agreement with the Richard Review that all apprentices should be supported to Level 2 qualifications in English and maths. However, the implementation of Level 2 qualifications in English and maths should not act as a barrier to apprenticeship achievement.
The construction industry provides employment opportunities for people from all educational backgrounds, with entrants having varying levels of GCSEs qualifications. The industry often develops young people into highly-skilled workers developing practical skills on the job rather than in the classroom. It is therefore important that the development of these level 2 qualifications are fitting with the jobs in hand and do not limit those who do not excel in the classroom environment. Methods should seek to embed the qualifications into applied learning that is relevant to the job in hand. 15. What further steps, by government or others, could encourage greater diversity and innovation in training delivery to help Apprentices reach the standards that employers have set? We would advise against applying market values to apprenticeships in the form of the competition as this could just lead to an increase in popular courses such as Hair and Beauty while not boosting the occupational skills that will support economic recovery. 16. What approach would work best to ensure Apprentices benefit from time to train and reflect away from their day to day workplace? Apprentices could record a reflective diary away from work in order to record actions and achievements over the duration of their apprenticeship. This can aid learning and offer the apprentice suitable time to reflect on workplace practices. The use of mentoring and coaching is also a valuable tool in developing skills and is endorsed by a large proportion of construction personnel. 17. Should off-site learning be made mandatory? We believe that off-site learning or in the case of the construction industry off-site training should be mandatory. There should be a commitment on the behalf of the employers to ensure varied training with a fixed number of hours spent off-site. It is also important as a safeguard against using apprenticeship programmes as a means of cheap labour. 18. How can the process for approving training providers be improved, to help employers find high quality, relevant training? We believe that providers must be accredited and subject to regulation by a quality agency such as Ofqual. 19. Do you believe that a kitemarking scheme for your sector or profession would add value and be supported? A kitemarking scheme should only be used if known and valued by professional bodies and employers. We prefer a regulatory body to oversee the
quality of delivery. This can be achieved by using established qualifications that are entered on to a qualifications framework. 20. What more can government do to facilitate effective third party/external use of its data to better inform individuals and employers about Apprenticeships? Data.gov.uk could act as a storage location for which third parties/externals can use open data for informing individuals and employers about apprenticeships. 21. What approaches are effective to inform young people and their parents about the opportunities provided by an Apprenticeship? The Holt Review of 2012 recommended that the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) should take a leading role with better and more consistent messaging about apprenticeships. The Review highlighted that the NAS database on apprenticeship providers should be made open and publically available to employers so they can self-serve and choose the apprenticeship provision that is most relevant to them. The Skills Funding Agency FE Choices website is helpful for comparing the performance of further education colleges. However, the website could go further to mirror that of Unistats which compares official course data from universities and colleges. 22. How can we support employers to engage with learners of all ages to provide information about Apprenticeship opportunities? The creation of incentives for SMEs in the form of tax breaks for recruiting apprenticeships should help boost apprenticeship numbers whilst cutting costs for employers to recruit apprentices. The CIOB s research into skills from 2013 indicates that 90% of respondents believe that apprenticeships are part of the answer to fixing skills gaps in the UK construction industry. However, apprenticeship numbers have fallen rapidly in recent years. Research from CITB-Construction Skills in 2012 indicates that apprenticeship numbers are running at about half the level it did four years ago from more than 14,000 a year to fewer than 8,000. Large numbers of construction companies are keen to employ apprentices, but often find the process in applying for grants burdensome. Furthermore, the impact of the recession on workloads and profits has also led to many taking on fewer apprentices. In these instances, the Government should consider greater provisions for smaller businesses as well as improve the advice and guidance for young people who perceive apprenticeships as being less valuable as other, more academic routes into employment.
23. Do you consider that the proposals set out in this document would have a positive or negative impact on any group, including those with protected characteristics? Please provide any comments or evidence you have for your answer and set out which aspects of the reforms will impact and how these impacts might be managed. As highlighted earlier, there are risks with ensuring that all apprentices achieve level 2 English and maths. If an academic delivery model is chosen ahead of applied work-based English and maths model there are risks that a number of talented young people will be put at a disadvantage. It should also be noted that a non-academic delivery model should not be seen as a dumbed down version and adjustments can ensure that young people get on and achieve. 24. Do you have any further comments on the issues in this consultation? We outline below a number of concerns and recommendations more generally about apprenticeships: Apprenticeships must be linked to learner needs and the learner must gain a qualification that has broad recognition nationally. Apprentices must be paid at least the minimum wage. The hours an apprentice works should be capped at 35 hours per week. Apprenticeships should be of at least 2 years duration. They should be linked to progression into higher education and professional body membership. They should be available to those over 24 years. A regulatory should monitor and manage progression and completion of apprenticeships by delivery centre and by sector to ensure that providers are monitored and measured on results.