Newsflash: Apprenticeships

What do we already know?

In a November 2013 Newsflash Apprenticeship reform we let you know that the Government had set out plans for reform of the current apprenticeship system in England. The aim of the plan was to ensure that apprenticeships become “more rigorous and more responsive to the needs of employers” and that new standards would replace the existing apprenticeship frameworks. They would be short and designed by employers, with one new apprenticeship ‘standard’ for each occupation which sets a level of skill, knowledge and competency, against which an apprentice will be assessed.

What’s new?

The Government has now published 40 new apprenticeship standards, available here. These are designed to be “more rigorous and responsive to the needs of employers”. The standards cover a wide range of sectors, from aerospace to education (early years). The aim is that new apprenticeship standards will replace all existing frameworks by 2017.

The Government’s guidance on the future of apprenticeships in England is available here.