Tony Allen (CEO of Allen Apprenticeships and Skills), and Ben Drain (Apprenticeships Operations and Quality Director at Pareto Law) presented a webinar for more than 150 apprenticeship providers to explore the topic of effective employer engagement.

With many years of experience in apprenticeships delivery, Tony Allen and Ben Drain have deep insights into where successful providers excel in the services they provide and the growth of their organisations. In this webinar, they focused on one key component – providers’ approaches to employer engagement.

“The behaviours required to prosper in a new world are different.” Aptem CEO, Richard Alberg. Although we might not yet be living in what we can call a ‘post-pandemic’ world, the pandemic has already significantly changed the behaviours and skills we need to thrive. Behavioural science can help us to pinpoint and understand these changes, as well as offer useful insights that can be applied to service delivery, and ultimately support people into work.

Blended learning incorporates in-class and remote learning, making use of digital technology to deliver engaging, flexible and collaborative education. Advances in technology have been challenging the classroom-centric mode of teaching since before the pandemic. Yet at the same time, it’s also widely recognised that technology has a significant role to play in education, not least because it is increasingly fundamental to everyday life. The role of education is to prepare young people for independence and success, and digital skills are undoubtedly essential for both.

Delivered by employers in partnership with training providers, level two and three apprenticeships offer a concrete and reliable path into employment, and a steady supply of new recruits to companies that can train them in the specific skills they require. However, these lower-level apprenticeships have been overshadowed in recent years by the higher- and degree-level apprenticeships that offer an alternative to university education. The declining uptake in level two and three apprenticeships reflects a missed opportunity for employers and employees alike. Here, we explore why.

The white paper, which includes perspectives from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), the University Vocational Awards Council, former business secretary and leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable and university-based apprenticeship managers, was written to inform the IfATE’s consultation and review of integration and standards in degree apprenticeships.

The white paper found that the function of mandated degrees went far beyond shaping an apprenticeship’s off-the-job training. While much work is needed to ensure degree apprenticeships deliver widening participation, the evidence shows degree qualifications enhance productivity, increase social mobility, and offer enhanced and transferrable skills to graduates and employers.

Colleges are experiencing higher rates of enrolment than ever before and as we approach winter, it’s still unclear whether we’ll be forced to re-introduce measures to control the spread of coronavirus. This means enrolment processes may need to be conducted remotely and thanks to digital solutions, like Aptem Enrol, this is easily done.

Our latest article looks at the challenge of college enrolment and how colleges, students, and employers nationwide benefit from a single, remote enrolment solution.