Higher Apprenticeship: a policy update and operational analysis

Adrian Anderson, CEO, UVAC

UVAC – Our Role• Commissioned to support BIS/National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) on

the Consultation on the Criteria for Apprenticeship at Degree levels• Advised BIS/NAS on the Revision to the Specification of Apprenticeships

Standards in England (SASE)• Co-authored – Developing Quality Higher Apprenticeship Frameworks

for England – the guidance that underpins SASE• Supported the development of the first Higher Apprenticeship to

incorporate a Foundation degree to recognise both the knowledge and competence requirements of the framework

• Supporting several Trailblazers to engage HEIs and HEIs to develop Apprenticeship strategies

• Currently - Asked by BIS to Support ‘Provider Readiness’ for the Apprenticeship Reforms (with AoC and AELP)

Apprenticeship/Higher Apprenticeship – Recent Timeline

• Summer 2011 - Prime Minister announces Higher Apprenticeship Fund to support development of Higher Apprenticeship frameworks

• November 2012 - Richard Review published (remit includes Higher Apprenticeship)

• April 2013 - Specification of Apprenticeship Frameworks in England revised to encompass Level 6 and 7 and HE qualifications at these levels

• October 2013 – Prime Minister announces Apprenticeship reforms and first Trailblazers

• Autumn Statement 2013 – £40m to fund 20,000 Higher Apprenticeship starts over 2 years

• March 2014 - First round Trailblazer Apprenticeship standards published – and further Trailblazers announced

• Budget 2014 – announced Government would fund HE within Higher Apprenticeships and provided £20m additional funding for HE within Higher Apprenticeships over 2 years

• May 2014 –Trailblazer funding model announced for 2014/15 starts

• August 2014 - Second round Trailblazer Apprenticeship standards published

• September 2014 - First Apprenticeship starts using new standards

• November 2014 – Government announces new level 6 and 7 model where degree and apprenticeship are fully integrated

• 2017/18 - All new Apprenticeship starts to be on standards

The Norm not the Niche

‘’..making higher apprenticeships the norm rather than a niche in the overall skills programme – making it as plausible to complete a degree via an apprenticeship as to go to university for 3 years. This is a huge opportunity for universities, who think of their customers in terms of employers as well as individuals. Doing so can attract significant investment, as well as Introducing cutting-edge practice into their degree programmes…”

Vince Cable, Cambridge Public Policy Lecture on the Future for HE & FE, April 2014

Post the 2015 General Election

• Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats - Innovative new alternatives to traditional bachelors and masters programmes• Labour - Technical degrees, Institutes of

Technical Education, Technical universities

Apprenticeship Frameworks • Apprenticeship frameworks were developed in accordance with the

Specification of Apprenticeship Standards in England• SASE specified minimum credit values (90 at level 4/5 and 120 at level 6/7)• HE, FE and Professional Qualifications could be specified as the

knowledge, competence or knowledge and competence qualification• Around 50 Higher Apprenticeship frameworks available • For details of frameworks see

www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Partners/Frameworks.aspx• No new Higher Apprenticeship frameworks will be approved post August

2014

Apprenticeship Standards – Proportion at Different Levels – August 2014

Level 7 1 2%Level 6 8 16%Level 5 1 2%Level 4 11 22%Level 3 24 47%Level 2 6 12%Total 51 100%

Apprenticeship Standards at HE Level (1)

• Professional Accounting Technician – level 4• Professional Accountant – level 6• Actuarial Technician – level 4• Automotive Control/Technical Support Engineer – level 6• Automotive Electrical/Electronic Technical Support Engineer – level 6• Automotive Manufacturing Engineer – level 6• Automotive Product Design and Development Engineer – level 6• Construction Technician – level 4• Conveyancing Technician – level 4• Licensed Conveyancer – level 6

For Apprenticeship standards, employer involved etc. see - apprenticeship.org.uk/standards

Apprenticeship Standards at HE Level (2)

• Dental Technician – level 5• Dental Practice Manager – level 4• Software Developer – level 4• Network Engineer – level 4• Software Tester – level 4• Cyber Intrusion Analyst – level 4• Digital Media Technology Practitioner – level 4• Relationship Manager (Banking) – level 6• Senior Chef: Culinary Arts – level 4• Chartered Legal Executive – level 6• Solicitor – level 7

For Apprenticeship standards, employer involved etc. see - apprenticeship.org.uk/standards

Apprenticeship Standards (in development) potentially at HE level• Adult Social Care Worker• Senior Adult Social Care Worker• Construction Manager• Digital Industries: Business Data, IT Practitioner, Unified

Communications• Financial Services: Investment Operations, Paraplanner, Workplace

Pensions• Travel Manager• Life and Industrial Sciences• Nurse

And trailblazer 3 announcements

HE Qualifications and Apprenticeship Standards

• When a qualification is specified in the standard, employers must use this qualification - outside this, employers and providers can agree their preferred route to achieving the learning/competency set out in the standard and assessment strategy

• The content level including any qualifications included or chosen would reflect the level assigned to the standard

Apprenticeship – Issues for HE and HE in FE (1)

• Shift in Apprenticeship focus from predominately level 2 and 3 to level 3 and HE levels

• Apprenticeship is moving into core HE vocational territory• The employer is in the ‘driving seat’ as the ‘standard setter’,

customer and actual purchaser of learning and accreditation• The employer as customer vis-à-vis the individual,

transferable skills and progression/social mobility• New funding system supports the use of prescribed HE

qualifications (and other provision)

Apprenticeship – Issues for HE and HE in FE (cont.)

• Apprenticeship an ‘alternative’ to existing HE provision• Apprenticeship ‘provision’ focused on those in work and achieving

the skills, knowledge and behaviours set out in the Apprenticeship standard and assessment plan

• Competition and opportunities for collaboration with FECs, Awarding Organisations, Professional Bodies to deliver learning and accreditation to meet the requirements of a ‘national’ Apprenticeship standard

• Growing importance of technician levels 4 and 5 (areas of recent decline in HEI provision)

• Change often results in winners and losers – responsiveness to employer demand will be key

New Models of HE Delivery and New Entrants to the ‘Skills System’

The new approach to Apprenticeship signifies some key developments in the overall ‘skills system’ in particular:• An emphasis on employer leadership and control • New programmes and models of delivery based on employer demand as

alternatives to full-time three year bachelor degrees• An opening up of the market and encouragement for new providers to

enter the market on the basis of employer demand• Some breakdown in the divides between HE, FE and private training

providers • Growing importance in policy on technician levels 4 and 5• The emphasis placed on LEPs is growing• Interest in exploring how employers should make a greater contribution to

the cost of HE provision.

An HEI Partnership Approach to Apprenticeship – A Way Forward

• Start with employers, employer demand and work with partners• Explore SFA support for prescribed HE qualifications in Higher Apprenticeship

frameworks– be aware of the changeover from Apprenticeship frameworks to standards

• Identify Apprenticeship Trailblazer occupations with which a university/partners have synergy and where employer interest is or may be apparent

• Liaise with Apprenticeship Trailblazers - use UVAC as an ‘introducer’• Raise Apprenticeship with HEFCE at a regional level• Liaise at a LEP level re. Apprenticeship frameworks and standards• Monitor the approaches of other HEIs and Awarding Organisations, Professional

Bodies, FE and private providers

An HEI Partnership Approach to Apprenticeship – Some More Help

• A UVAC step by step approach for HEIs and partners on how to engage with Apprenticeship – Jan/Feb 2015

Apprenticeship frameworks, Apprenticeship standards, assessment plans, funding, partnerships, progression, professional registration, assessment, accreditation, certification, case studies etc.

• HEI and partner briefings• Policy updates, alerts to Trailblazer briefing events

etc.