Training your apprentice well and ensuring they have access to support throughout is an important part of working with your apprentice. There are two types of training the apprentice will undergo.
1. On the Job Training
This is training and work which the apprentice will be doing while working as an employee. It is directly related to their job and should account for 80% of their designated work hours per week. The employer shows them how to carry out their day to day work and company procedures and processes and aligns the work they are given with the off the job training.
2. Off the Job Training
This is learning which takes place outside of day-to-day work duties and leads towards the achievement of the apprenticeship. It takes places during normal contracted work hours. The apprenticeship is designed to train for full competence in an occupation rather than just in the individual job they are employed in, so the breadth and depth can be wider than the job.
The off the job training should be aligned to on the job training and work. It must be directly related to the apprenticeship and should account for 20% of the apprentice’s working hours. This could be weekly or done as a block of time and can be delivered by the training provider or by the employer.
3. Knowledge, skills and behaviours
Knowledge, skills and behaviours form the basis of the apprenticeship’s on-and-off-the-job training. An end-point assessment tests an apprentice’s competency against the knowledge, skills and behaviours.
Knowledge
The information, technical detail someone needs to have and understand. Some knowledge will be occupation-specific, whereas some may be more generic.
Skills
The practical application of knowledge needed to successfully do their duties. They are learnt through on- and/or off-the-job training or experience.
Behaviours
Mindsets, attitudes or approaches needed. Whilst these can be innate or instinctive, they can also be learnt. Behaviours tend to be very transferable. They may be more similar across apprenticeships than knowledge and skills. For example, team worker, adaptable and professional.
4. 10 tips for successful apprenticeship training
- Apprentices should be aware and involved in objective setting for their apprenticeship training. Training providers and employers should understand the apprentice and their learning preferences. Therefore, tailor their training to match the needs of each individual apprentice, taking account of the assessment objectives and grading criteria against which, they will be assessed at EPA.
- Employers’ organisational culture should support apprentices and it should be communicated why the apprentice is important to the employer. Employers and training providers should look to their supply chains and communities to engage and support their apprentices.
- Apprentices should be given the opportunity to engage with communities and professional bodies where appropriate
- Apprentices should be assigned a mentor who could be separate from their line manager, that is structured and encourages the apprentice to challenge themselves and grow.
- Apprentices should have equal access to training provider facilities and wider-ranging support.
- Apprentices should be involved in the review of the support and quality of training provided. Tools should be in place to check employers and training providers are meeting apprentices’ needs and their impact on the business should be measured and celebrated. Apprentices should be encouraged to give feedback and the feedback should be actioned.
- Employers should be aware of key apprenticeship milestones and provide appropriate support to help the apprentice plan and prepare for their assessments. Apprentices should feel more empowered as the apprenticeship progresses.
- Celebrate success and set ambitious targets for apprentices. This could be on social media, a card, or a mention at a meeting. This isn’t just about celebrating excellent assessment results, but rather is at its most meaningful when focused on specific instances of progress in learning from whatever starting point and to whatever level.
- Training providers should give the apprentice opportunities to share their views. And should adapt their training to reflect their needs and concerns. Individual-level feedback from on-programme apprentices should be gathered by their providers to identify any issues and provide immediate support.
- Recognise the whole experience is an education and provide extracurricular learning to promote life skills and self-awareness.
Published 20 September 2024
Last updated 20 September 2024
(CF, NS)
