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- All
- Apprentice Case Studies
- Aptem News
- Enrol Case Studies
- Sector news
- Skills Case Studies
- Thought and Analysis


The shape of employability in 2021
2020 has been a challenging year. COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated unemployment and had a disproportionate effect on young people, with youth employment falling to its lowest rate since 2014. It has also stalled progress being made in closing the disability employment gap.


What should an Independent Training Provider look for in an end-to-end apprenticeship technology solution?
Apprenticeships are increasingly recognised as a key means of skills development and are only set to increase in importance. For Independent Training Providers (ITPs) this involves finding ways to streamline the process of apprenticeship delivery and recognising that this is a necessary step to align with current and future education practices.


Report the truth or a well-meaning fiction?
Apprenticeship providers are rightly interested in tracking learner progress. But what kind of data and tools do management need to get the facts rather than a well-meaning fiction?


How technology can deliver diversity and inclusion in employability
Diversity and inclusion are pressing issues in employability. Technology can help deliver on this agenda by permitting real flexibility and personalisation. Read on to find our how.



Aptem updates for November 2020
November sees us continue to focus on improving the platform to support virtual management and delivery whilst increasing flexibility so you can deliver your operating model in the best possible way. To that end, we are pleased to include two significant upgrades in Aptem’s November update – the introduction of Multi-Factor Authentication and the release of the Employer Console.


Aptem’s Higher Education Forum November 2020 – sharing insights and discussing sector issues
This month we hosted our Higher Education (HE) User Forum, bringing together the Aptem Team and university clients to share insight and knowledge, discuss pressing issues and gather feedback on Aptem.


Lightening the load: how future technologies could support work coach effectiveness
The emergent technologies of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) have produced anxieties about change and potential job losses. But can we see these advanced technologies as assisting and enhancing our jobs? In this article, we look at how new technologies could enhance the effectiveness of job coaches.


‘College of the future’ commission report published
The Independent Commission on the College of the Future has published the findings of its investigation into how FE colleges should be structured to address the skills deficit and transform the life chances of individuals in the UK.


Make do and muddle through
We are now half-way through the first term of the new academic year. Despite the new lockdown, the government has resolved that schools, colleges and universities will stay open. Of course, things may change as has proven to be the case thus far.


Designing a data strategy for the employability sector
Understanding human psychology is invaluable when supporting someone effectively on their journey into work. Employability providers possess increasingly large datasets that, if used well, contain significant insights that could support the provision of a better service. The challenge for a sector under increasing pressure is knowing how to extract meaningful direction from the mountains of data at their fingertips.



Aptem updates for October 2020
We are pleased to announce that the Aptem Development Team pushed lived October’s update which included the new Aptem Employ Dashboard and a number of major enhancements to our onboarding process.


Supporting effective personalisation in employability services
Personalisation has become a buzzword in employability. But has the employment sector achieved personalisation and, if not, what should it look like?


Just IT implements Aptem to deliver innovative apprenticeships
Just IT selected Aptem as the platform to deliver its innovative IT and Digital apprenticeships. Sam Tobin, Service Delivery Director at Just IT, explains the reasons for their choice: “We wanted to source an intelligent, end-to-end system. The look, feel and usability of the interface was a critical factor for us. The Aptem platform is essentially our customers’ experience of Just IT.” In this article we explore this very successful implementation and key learnings for anyone considering an end-to-end system.


Solving unemployment at scale – a response to ONS data
As the ONS has reported, unemployment is rising. The 16-24 age group, who typically occupy roles in some of the worst hit sectors including hospitality, entertainment and the arts, have been particularly affected. However, the spike in unemployment caused by COVID-19 is pan-generational. In August 2020, the claimant count reached 2.7 million people, an increase of 120.8% since March 2020. Notably, there is a significant rise in the number of people unemployed for up to six months, up 202,000 over the year to 988,000. This poses an additional challenge; it’s widely recognised that the longer someone is out of work, the harder it is for them to re-enter the workforce.


Apprenticeships – is it time for a rebrand?
When you mention apprenticeships to most people – unless they are in the skills sector – they immediately think of physical, hands-on activity like carpentry or car maintenance. But while there are still many manual apprenticeships on offer, today’s apprenticeship standards also include subjects like data science and advanced forensic practitioner.
Given words have meaning, is it time for apprenticeships to have a rebrand?


Skills sector is vital to the Covid-19 unemployment fall-out
GDP is sharply down, and unemployment is rising. Big sectors which have helped many enter the labour force such as hospitality are hard hit and not likely to perform the same role in the next recovery. How bad could unemployment become, and what can we do to arrest its growth and help the out of work redeploy their skills? In this piece we look at the ONS forecasts, compare them with previous recessions and recoveries and seek to draw conclusions relevant to skills training.


Why EdTech is crucial for FE providers to facilitate success
The way we learn needs to reflect how we live and work. Our daily lives are a seamless blend of physical and digital interactions. Schedules are increasingly flexible, with portfolio careers on the rise and continuous learning becoming a more common feature of our routines.
Developments in education technology represent an opportunity to prepare young people and adults with the skills and capabilities they will need to thrive in the future. Not only that, but for further education colleges and independent training providers, EdTech offers solutions that can help them successfully address the UK skills gap and guide students into promising careers.
Here, we will explore what EdTech offers the further education sector and explain why it’s time to embrace the confluence of technology and learning.


Cybersecurity functionality critical for CAEHRS digital employability solutions
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), as part of its Commercial Agreement for the Provision of Employment and Health Related Services (CAEHRS), prioritises the role of digital solutions to employability programmes. How do providers ensure that the digital solutions they offer are cybersecure?
Newsletters
The Pulse, Autumn 2020
In the Autumn 2020 edition of The Pulse, Richard Alberg, CEO of Aptem, talks about employability today and why the company decided to launch Aptem Employ, a cutting-edge platform to manage all aspects of a job seeker’s journey.
This edition also includes an op-ed by Christine Weddell, Chief Operating Officer at Aptem, asking whether tech is the new paradigm for skills and employability solutions.
Finally, we share an interview with David Kitchen, Managing Director of The Leadership Team, who talks about M&As in the training sector and how his company helps the industry keep in top of quality.
The Pulse, Winter 2020
In the Winter 2020 edition of The Pulse, we are delighted to offer our view of the 2020 apprenticeship landscape, an interview with Vikki Liogier, National Head of EdTech and Digital Skills at the Education and Training Foundation, and the latest exciting Aptem product and company developments.
The Pulse, Autumn 2019
In the Autumn 2019 edition of The Pulse, we are delighted to offer news and product updates, as well as an insightful interview with Chris Jones, Her Majesty’s Inspector – Specialist Adviser for Apprenticeships.
The Pulse, Spring 2019
In the Spring 2019 edition of The Pulse, we are delighted to offer news and product updates, as well as an interesting interview with UVAC’s Mandy Crawford-Lee.
The Pulse, Winter 2019
In this edition of The Pulse, we are delighted to offer news updates, an analysis of the levy shortfall and a great interview with Mark Dawe of the AELP, as well as Aptem product and team developments.
The Pulse, Autumn 2018
We are pleased to share with you the first of our quarterly newsletters, where we will be keeping you informed on Aptem developments and sharing useful resources that will help you make the most of your chosen delivery platform.
Webinars


Creating a digital literacy culture and using technology to enhance learning


Big data in education and training


Exploring alternative talent pools for recruiting employability professionals


Changes, challenges and the role of digital in future employability programmes


Pandemic Challenges and Opportunities for Apprenticeships


State of the Art Tech for Employment programmes


A demonstration of Aptem’s Intelligence Dashboard for Universities
Events
Webinar: The future of learning delivery is blended – Steve Hargreaves, Head of eLearning, Aptem
27 January @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pmNational Apprenticeship Conference
28 JanuaryAOC Annual Conference
8 February @ 8:00 am - 9 February @ 5:00 pmFE Week Annual Apprenticeship Conference
26 April @ 8:30 am - 27 April @ 5:30 pmEducation and Strategy Forum 2021
28 April @ 8:00 am - 29 April @ 5:00 pm

