Lifetime selected Aptem in March 2021, following a year-long procurement process. This case study explores how the successful switch to Aptem is enabling Lifetime to continue to put learners at the heart of the organisation, while also realising productivity improvements across the business.
From five systems to one: how Lifetime training streamlined its apprenticeship programme with Aptem
Lifetime Training is the UK’s largest apprenticeship training provider, operating across five sectors with approximately 17,000 learners currently on programme. Lifetime’s strategic vision is to build on its position as market leader, working with key partners across the Hospitality, Retail, Care, Digital and Management Services sectors.
Lifetime selected Aptem in March 2021, following a year-long procurement process. This case study explores how the successful switch to Aptem is enabling Lifetime to continue to put learners at the heart of the organisation, while also realising productivity improvements across the business. Achieving this balance helps focus resources on the right places to drive quality in terms of:
- Learner experience and achievement
- Employer engagement
- Apprenticeship take-up and impact
Commercial viability as a driver for learner success
Dom Wilkinson, Operational Partnership Manager at Lifetime, says of the current sector landscape, “As any provider will know, it’s complicated to operate within apprenticeships and work-based learning, and the margins are very, very tight. It’s vitally important for us to work towards operational efficiency so that we free up our people to concentrate on service delivery to learners and employers.
We are very focused on making sure that what matters is the learner: that they have a great experience and walk away with tangible skills that are going to benefit them in the workplace. Otherwise, you’re number-crunching for no reason. The commercial consideration of capitalising on our investment in Aptem goes hand in hand with our relentless focus on customer experience.”
1 system
Learners now only need to use one system – a seamless and engaging experience.
I cannot stress enough how impactful it’s been pushing everything into Aptem and making it a one-stop shop, particularly for the learner.
Dom Wilkinson, Operational Partnership Manager
Transforming the learner journey
How it worked prior to procuring Aptem
One of the challenges the Lifetime Training team faced pre-Aptem was the use of multiple systems:
There was one system for the data capture required for the Individualised Learning Record (ILR) – the learner’s postal address, contact details, working pattern etc.
Coaches would then use a different portfolio system that “was designed for frameworks and had been updated layer upon layer to bring it in line with standards; becoming very complex.”
- Learners themselves would use another system to access their curriculum content.
- Coaches would use a further system to access their teaching support materials.
Dom reflects, “before you know it, you’ve got five or six different login credentials and systems that the operations team, learners and coaches had to navigate, which created a confusing learner journey and operational inefficiency.”
How it works with Aptem
The current experience for Lifetime apprentices, by contrast, is more seamless as learners now need to use only one system.
“I cannot stress enough how impactful it’s been pushing everything into Aptem and making it a one-stop shop, particularly for the learner.” Dom Wilkinson
- Log into Aptem
- Complete the onboarding
- Find your learning content
- Contact and engage with your coach
- Track your progress
- Move through Gateway and into EPA
Aptem has had a massive impact on the experience of our apprentices. Our learners are telling us that it is easy to use, great to track their progress and full of all the information they need.
Rebecca Iles, Customer Experience Analyst
Reworking the delivery model
How it worked prior to procuring Aptem
Lifetime’s delivery model prior to Aptem looked very different to how it does today. It was a visit-based model, following the mantra of ‘every learner, every month’. Dom acknowledges this was a very ambitious target to hit and that the pandemic caused enormous upheaval for the sectors in which they were operating.
He explains, “In reality, we were achieving a visit every six to seven weeks and were in the scoping and development stage for Aptem during Covid, already looking to adjust our model.”
The challenges of a visit-based approach included:
- Having to fit everything into one meeting, from extensive admin and safeguarding to delivering teaching and checking on progress. The meeting was also the only opportunity to engage with the line manager.
- A lack of data to drive quality improvement. Aside from quality checks, the main data point was when the visit happened, with little further qualitative or quantitative data to give deeper insight.
How it works with Aptem
Part of the Aptem project was the objective of ‘letting the coach actually coach’; removing as much admin as possible and enabling them to do what they do best – teach. Aptem functionality means a more systematic and consistent approach, with a far greater opportunity for meaningful interactions and full visibility over how those interactions are impacting progress.
Using Aptem’s customisable reviews and other key functionality, coaches are now able to break a ‘visit’ down into more targeted meetings:
- Lifetime’s ‘Meet your Coach’ introductory meeting.
- Monthly progress review, tracking progress using Aptem’s Skills Radar tool and the learning coach assessments of learner progress.
- Regular workshops and learning delivery – a blend of in-person and online learning, using Aptem’s SCORM asset functionality.
- Monthly check on impact of Additional Learning Support, where relevant.
- Monthly check on Functional Skills progress, where relevant.
- Quarterly tripartite review with coach, learner and line manager.
- EPA preparation and subsequent assessment dates and results.
Key Aptem functionality for coaches
Customisable reviews let Lifetime split a ‘visit’ into specific review types, so the purpose and outcome of each interaction is clear and documented. In practice, this means coaches can focus time on teaching, rather than admin.
Aptem’s automation trackers take care of much admin for the team, connecting operational, compliance, and quality work so that learners benefit from minimal delays.
Embedding the learning content into the Learning Plan means coaches and operational teams have access to what learning has taken place, how learners have engaged, and evidence of learning application.
Employer partners value impactful, granular detail of where their learners are up to, accessible through the Aptem employer dashboard.
Coaches use dashboards to monitor caseloads and progress and to adapt support for each learner.
“There is great visibility of my learner caseload and the progress each learner is making, as well as the areas I need to focus on, enabling me to adapt my support to suit the individual.” Lifetime coach
Aptem has always been very supportive of Lifetime in our launch and adoption of the new system.
Dom Wilkinson, Operational Partnership Manager
Managing the change project
“When you are the market leader and have an organisation with so many thousands of learners, employer partners and staff, a major system change like the transition to Aptem is, of course, significant,” explains Dom. “Aptem has always been very supportive of Lifetime in our launch and adoption of the new system. It has been a rollercoaster at times, but the project has been a success. Despite two sets of funding rule changes, an Ofsted inspection and leadership changes, we made it. We got it over the line. I’m proud of everyone involved.”
The Lifetime team attributes success to:
- A partnership approach with the Aptem team.
- Determination and hard work from all teams, including operating dual systems during the transition for almost 20,000 learners.
- Recognition that not everyone moves at the same pace along the change curve.
- Careful culture change management, including attention to the terminology used internally.
- Balancing new remote/online approaches with the value of face-to-face experiences.
Dom notes that at first some coaches thought Aptem would create more admin, especially as its rollout coincided with DfE rule changes. However, “feedback from our coaches is now almost universally positive, positioning us well to achieve our future goals and objectives.”
One Lifetime coach shares her experience: “There is great visibility of my learner caseload and the progress each learner is making, as well as the areas I need to focus on, enabling me to adapt my support to suit the individual. My learners pick up how to use it quickly and tend to find it easy to navigate through their learning plan. Being able to clearly see their progress helps keep them engaged and motivated. I also find Aptem useful to use when planning and conducting teaching and learning sessions; as a support or visual aid for the learner as well as easily being able to adapt the content for different learning styles when required.”
Delivering at scale and building for the future
Aptem’s flexibility also allows Lifetime to respond to complex business needs and large-scale delivery. The organisation tracks and encourages learner engagement through real-time data and detailed reporting. This has improved the visibility of learner engagement and satisfaction since the move to Aptem.
Programme variation is easily managed through sub-programme functionality, letting Lifetime tailor content and pathways for a variety of sectors and roles—without creating redundancy or losing the ability to meaningfully analyse outcomes. This adaptability, along with process improvements and responsive support from the Aptem team, helped Lifetime reshape its onboarding and ongoing learner management.
A partnership for the long term
Dom says, “As the person at Lifetime who is responsible for the partnership with Aptem, I will put my hands up to say that I have not always made it easy. Aptem consistently seeks, within reason, to accommodate our requests and our feedback. For me, it’s not been about getting immediate resolutions; I was more interested in building a solid, honest partnership and I am very, very impressed with how the senior leadership team has responded to challenges.”
“I do think it’s a strong partnership that we have, which is why I always offer Lifetime up as a test bed if Aptem needs a large provider to test and try new functionality. Aptem truly is a trusted partner to support us in our journey.”
Resources
Steve Willis
BMS Progress
