1. (European Alliance for Apprenticeships, 2015)
    1. A modern apprenticeship is defined as a work-based learning scheme based on the following principles:
    2. Apprenticeships are part of formal education and training programmes and lead to a nationally recognised qualification.
    3. Apprenticeships combine company-based training (periods of practical work experience at a workplace) with school-based education (periods of theoretical/practical education in a school or training centre).
    4. Most often there is a contractual relationship between the employer and the apprentice, with the apprentice being paid for his/her work.
    5. It is this link to a formally recognised qualification that distinguishes apprenticeships from other organisation-based training schemes such as graduate management schemes or internships.
  2. Daimler was taking on almost 2,000 apprentices in Germany, nine out of ten of whom would obtain a permanent job at the end of their training (Cassidy, 2011).
    1. While Italy, Germany, France and the UK have all had reasonably robust apprenticeship programmes for some time, elsewhere the picture is uncertain.
    2. European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC, 2014) highlights both an overall concern with the declining numbers of apprenticeships during the global financial crisis
    3. There is a clear motivation for governments in providing vocational training and educational routes as a means of combating youth unemployment figures.
  3. Benefits of apprenticeships 2012 CIPD
    1. A more engaged workforce: 92% of employers who employ apprentices believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.
    2. Lower staff turnover, fewer skills-related vacancies and reduced recruitment costs: 83% of employers who employ apprentices rely on their apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future. One in five employers are hiring more apprentices to help them through the tough economic climate.
    3. Increased competitiveness: 80% of those employers who employ apprentices agree they make their workplace more productive.
    4. A better image and greater customer satisfaction: 81% of consumers favour using a company which takes on apprentices.
    5. (National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), cited in CIPD, 2012, p. 6)
    6. Concerns that only the largest organisations can effectively manage and run apprenticeship schemes, not least because there is a good deal of administration involved given the need to comply with the appropriate policy requirements. Moreover, and particularly in the UK, the policies that impact apprenticeships are subject to ongoing change and refinement.
  4. Scenario 3: Time 4 Tea
    1. Time 4 Tea is a chain of 25 boutique tea shops in the west of England. They serve traditional tea and cakes, specialising in ‘afternoon tea’ for parties, groups and businesses both at their own premises and delivered locally. Each tea shop also has a small gift shop which sells pottery and other local craft items. The baked items have, to date, been sourced from a variety of local suppliers but the company is now expanding and launching its own bakery which aims to supply not only its own shops but also to launch the ‘Time 4 Tea’ brand into quality supermarket chains. The bakery will need to be staffed with new employees.
    2. Expanding a business into a new area will require skilled and experienced staff in key roles. One issue for this firm to consider is the investment in technology and machinery that will be required and how this relates to the manual labour requirement. Depending on the size of the venture, it would seem that the recruitment of a small number of apprentices within the new bakery would probably be a cost-effective option. Indeed, the organisation might consider apprenticeship opportunities in its existing businesses to maximise the economies of scale from setting up such a scheme. The organisation will also need to consider how development opportunities for existing staff who might be interested in working in the bakery might operate alongside an apprenticeship scheme.
  5. Scenario 2: Dogs for Life
    1. Dogs for Life is a charity that manages three dogs’ homes in a rural location in Wales. It also campaigns on various issues related to animal welfare and carries out educational work in schools. The charity has a number of paid employees, particularly involved in management and fundraising. Each dogs’ home has a paid centre manager but much of the work is performed by volunteers. Sadly, due to the increased number of abandoned animals during the recent financial crisis, Dogs for Life has seen a dramatic increase in demand. The charity has secured a donation to extend all three of the facilities and is now reviewing how these will be staffed and the balance between paid and volunteers across different roles in the organisation.
    2. The issues of balancing paid employment with volunteering is a particular challenge in this context. If the charity is expanding, it will need to consider the role of volunteers within the new organisation and how apprentices would fit within the paid/volunteer structure. Consultation is likely to be important here as the organisation cannot afford to lose volunteers given it is reliant on them for many aspects. With expansion, however, the scope for employing apprenticeships across both management and animal care roles seems possible. The organisation should consult with voluntary sector bodies to understand if there is additional support available and investigate any particular incentives given its location.
  6. Scenario 1: Garden maintenance company
    1. David has been running a garden maintenance company for the last ten years and now employs ten people, five of whom work on a part-time basis. The work is largely manual and often irregular, with particular peaks from April to September. David relies on student labour to assist during the summer months. A particular challenge in managing the workload across his organisation is that only a few of the permanent employees are qualified to use the more complex machinery and only David himself has the necessary qualifications and experience to do tree surgery. David would like to bid for more commercial contracts but does not have the necessary capacity to deliver the work these are likely to involve.
    2. It is often highlighted that small companies face particular challenges in setting up and running apprenticeship schemes because of the administrative overheads. A further issue for David to consider would be the length of time it might take an apprentice to be able to work on their own without supervision. David could investigate whether there are any professional schemes in his field that might provide advice or support for his company if he were to consider setting up an apprenticeship. This might offer potential further benefits. There is of course a risk that, in hiring an apprentice, David might go through the training process and then the individual leave having become qualified. This scenario is often one of the biggest concerns for a small organisation. David will have to weigh up these issues alongside the cost benefits of employing an apprentice rather than a more experienced employee.
  7. Activity 3.3: Should apprenticeships be a strategic HRD priority?
    1. A BBC news article on the 2015 reforms to UK apprenticeships: ‘Apprentices: how easy is it to create three million more?’ (Hooker, 2015).
    2. The foreword and summary and recommendations sections of this City & Guilds Group report on apprenticeships: Remaking Apprenticeships: Powerful Learning for Life and Work (City & Guilds Group, 2014).