1 Current Status and Further Development
Introduction Leadership
The Apprenticeship Project has been managed by a Project Management Group with representatives of Aimhigher (AHL) and the Lancashire Lifelong Learning Network (LLN), supported by a Steering Group and with the assistance of a Project Manager.
This structure will cease in December 2011. There is, therefore, a need to provide effective succession arrangements to give championship and leadership after the LLN closes in December 2011 if the activities the project has developed are to continue in 2012 and beyond.
Objective 1
Proposed Sustainability Strategy
Leadership
It is proposed to approach this in two ways.
1. through establishment of a new body (provisionally the Lancashire Apprentices Progression Group(LAP)) to steer collaborative activity, based on the present Steering Group and including representatives from colleges, independent WBL providers and Universities, Lancashire and Regional employers, SSCs and the LEP. Its main role would be to take ownership of the overall agenda identified below and to seek means to sustain and develop it. It is proposed that the Lancashire Work Based Executive Forum (LWBLEF), which has offered assistance to ensure sustainability, should support LAP.
Next actions in connection with this are to agree membership and arrange a first meeting.
2. through the development of a Community (or Communities) of Practice (CoPs))which will bring together and support professionals, including trainers and assessors and IAG workers, to collaborate on a common agenda around progression for apprentices.
It is proposed that a launch/commitment event should be held to promote the new leadership structure.
2 1.1 Identify skills gaps at Level 4 and above experienced by employers in
the four priority sectors.
A number of Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) surveys have been undertaken in individual sectors (eg, Health and Social Care (HSC), Leisure and Tourism (L and T) and STEM) have been undertaken along with fact-finding work by individual LLN employer consultants. This activity has now ended and this kind of data has a short shelf life. Up-to-date information on the progression and HE needs of employers is essential to sustainability and would be best achieved through a systemic connection to Lancashire LMI collectors/suppliers. It would be sensible too to broaden the scope of LMI capture beyond the LLN’s sectors. 1.2 Map existing progression opportunities and identify gaps
The LLN’s Visaroute is capable of mapping every progression opportunity from a Lancashire Advanced Apprenticeship across the LLN’s sectors and is being developed to do so in a way which is appealing and easily accessible to vocational learners, including apprentices.
To date, the data for Level 3 apprentices has not been supplied by all partners. An action on the Project is to obtain complete data by December. This may require profile-raising activities to demonstrate to colleges and private training providers that the effort of providing data is worthwhile and/or interventions at senior management level to ensure that it is collected.
As data is becoming available, gaps in Level 4 provision are being identified which make it difficult or impossible for apprentices to
1.1 Existing LMI obtained by the LLN will be made available to partners and others via the LLN legacy strategy (December).
In addition, it is proposed to identify which agencies will be responsible, following recent reorganisations, for collecting relevant LMI for
Lancashire (the LEP?) and to establish links with them which will promote progression.
1.2 A separate sustainability strategy has been developed for Visaroute. This includes provision for its website to be hosted and developed by Blackburn College, one of the LLN partner institutions, and for data to be updated once available (in some instances through automatic data feeds). By December, Visaroute will be a valuable and attractive resource, available to Advanced Apprentices and those who train and advise them.
To ensure that apprentice interests are represented from 2012 It is proposed that LAP should have a structural link to Visaroute, perhaps by cross-representation of membership and placing Visaroute as a standing item on its agenda. In addition, opportunities to promote Visaroute among providers, eg, through web-site should be developed beyond 2012.
3 progress. Encouragingly, there are many instances in which progression
routes can be found simply by making a new connection between an Advanced Apprenticeship and an existing Level 4 qualification. An action on the project is to make these links visible and to encourage, so far as is within its means, their use. In other cases new provision will be required which the project may help identify but which it cannot in the remaining timescale address.
1.3 Develop new provision to meet needs
This phase of LLN activity has now ended. Existing materials, contacts and expertise developed by the LLN will be made available to partners and others via the LLN legacy strategy (December )
2. Information, Advice and Guidance 2.1 Deliver the Partner Provider Project
The Partner Provider Programme, an ambitious set of interlinked initiatives designed to raise aspirations, improve impartial Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) and increase the visibility and accessibility of Higher Education (HE) to apprentices, funded by AHL and the LLN and delivered through the LWBLEF has now been completed successfully. 2.2 Develop bridging provision to improve retention among Apprentices
an ongoing basis. It is proposed that LAP should make these known across the partnership, so that action can be taken by individual partners or potential funders to address them.
1.3 New developments will require good market intelligence, wide support and dedicated funding . The cross-Lancashire partnership which has been developed through the project is well placed to position partners to address these needs collaboratively, supplementing and supporting the already considerable expertise brought together through the LWBLEF. It is proposed that this agenda should be inherited by and developed through the LAP and CoPs.
2.1 No sustainability strategy is required, since activities have been embedded by private training providers, colleges and HEIs supported by toolkits and other materials.
4 accepted for HLS programmes
A dedicated 10 credit P4HE module, for Advanced Apprentices, linked to the CPD module referred to under 3.2 below, has been developed. Validation by one or more Lancashire Universities is planned to be achieved during the project lifetime and a CoP is being developed to support embedding and further development.
Work has been undertaken on on-line IAG materials. This has been subsumed into a LSIS-funded project which has developed printed and electronic materials. No further development is required.
2.3 Develop and deliver a dedicated Passport to HE for Apprentices The Passport is now in its second year of use and has well-received by apprentices, colleges and private training providers
3 Facilitating Progression to HE
3.1 Improving IAG for HE and HE in Further Education (FE) staff about Advanced Apprenticeships as an entry route into HE
This was an agenda item of the LLN CEIAG Conference held in October. At the Conference, interest was expressed in establishing a CoP around this theme. An objective of the project will be to have this in place by
December 2011.
2.2A CoP, supported by LAP, will be the chief means of ensuring sustainability and continuing development. Academic responsibility will be vested in one or more Lancashire HEIs. (see also 3.2 below)
2.3 To be sustainable, resource needs to be found to enable the passport to be updated, printed and distributed. As a guide, the current passport cost £1.65k to print plus costs of updating and distribution. Possibilities for co-funding, or sponsorship would seem worth exploring.
3.1 It is proposed that the LAP should assume ownership of any initiative that has emerged by December 2011 and support its further
5 3.2 Deliver a pilot CPD module
A 10 credit accredited CPD module (the Preparation for HE (P4HE)) has been developed and delivered to two groups of professionals working with apprentices.
A project task is to deliver the module to a further cohort within the project lifetime, to secure accreditation by one or more partner HEIs And to develop a viable CoP for Lancashire professionals.
3.3 Assess and meet further CPD needs
There is no further planned activity around this during the project lifetime.
4. Curriculum Development
In addition to development mentioned under 2 and 3 above, initiatives in the following areas are scheduled for completion or further
development by December
4.1. Bursaries for ex apprentices studying on UCLan's Certificate in Professional Practice, one of a suite of innovative WBL qualifications. Despite a disappointing outcome of initial recruitment, funds are
available to recruit up a further 4 ex-apprentices to Bursaries during the project lifetime.
4.2 Higher Apprenticeships. The LLN's Working Party has brought
3.2A Community of Practice (CoP) will have been developed to take ownership of professionals' CPD requirements by December (see 2.2 above) and it is proposed that this should also take responsibility for the module for apprentices. Academic ownership of the module will be vested in one or more Lancashire HEIs.
3.3 The CoP, supported by LAP, will be the chief means of ensuring sustainability and continuing development of on-line resources..
4.1 Further development will rest with the Lancashire Business School (LBS). Opportunities of linking the programme to the CPD needs of professionals working with apprentices will be made available through LBS representation on the LAP and with CoPs.
6 together a great deal of expertise in this area and will work to support
development of Higher Apprenticeships, especially in the areas of Construction, Nuclear and HSC.
appsprojsustainstratfin.doc
4.2 It is proposed that the LAP should assume responsibility for this area of work which will also be supported through the proposed CoP..
