Many people still associate apprenticeships with the traditional, framework-based style and don\u2019t realize how much they have been revolutionised over the past few years to reskill, upskill and hone the skills of experienced professionals through apprenticeship standards. In fact, 58% of employers believe their middle and senior managers would be unwilling to be labeled as an \u2018apprentice\u2019, despite there being great leadership & management apprenticeships available!<\/p>\n
With so much confusion over how apprenticeships have changed, and what the difference is between a framework and a standard, we thought we\u2019d put a handy list together\u2026<\/p>\n
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To put it simply, a framework is qualification based, and focuses on the learner ticking a series of boxes to achieve the apprenticeship, which would then result in a qualification. Apprenticeships often include multiple elements such as a knowledge-based element and a competency-based element which are certified separately (for example a BTEC for knowledge-based and an NVQ for competency-based).<\/p>\n
A standard, however, transforms this traditional approach. Instead of focusing on ticking boxes to receive a qualification, standards are occupation focused. This means that a learner needs to demonstrate how they have developed their knowledge, skills & behaviors specifically for (and in) a workplace setting. Essentially, learners must demonstrate that they are fully competent in their role to pass the apprenticeship.<\/p>\n
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With the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017, apprenticeships are a great way for larger employers to develop their current employees using funds that are often deemed as a \u2018tax\u2019.<\/p>\n
As of January 2020, smaller employers are able to access the Apprenticeship Levy funds that larger organizations have paid in but not used. This access is not guaranteed for every company, as they will need to go through an application process. Alternatively, levy-paying organizations can directly transfer funds (up to 25%) to SMEs in their supply chain, allowing smaller business to use these levy funds.<\/p>\n
Find out more about the Apprenticeship Levy for both levy-payers & SMEs<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A framework isn\u2019t focused on long-term skills \u2013 learners are only required to think about the required skills & understand the theory, and then be able to put it into practice once \u2013 often in the form of an activity such as an essay. If this process is satisfactorily completed for every module, the learner will pass their apprenticeship.<\/p>\n A standard, on the other hand, requires learners to continually demonstrate their development throughout the program. Then, at the end of the program, the learner\u2019s skills, knowledge and behaviors are thoroughly tested at an End Point Assessment, where they must prove they are capable of carrying out all aspects of their job to complete the apprenticeship.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These are apprenticeships that were \u201ccreated by industry, for industry\u201d. This is where groups of employers working in a specific sector have come together to design standards and assessment plans based on the real-world requirements of an occupation.<\/p>\n This approach has resulted in apprenticeship standards that are aligned to the needs of actual employers, and will provide learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviors that will make a genuine difference in their day-to-day performance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A framework can be unstructured \u2013 as a learner progresses and is ticking off elements to complete modules, they\u2019re likely to find themselves jumping between modules, re-doing work that may not have passed the first time, as well as trying to complete their current modules. This can result in learners who have obtained a qualification, but haven\u2019t been on a journey of change.<\/p>\n A standard takes learners on their own individual journey to develop their knowledge, skills & behaviors. Learners complete 20% off-the-job learning in the business. This means that, while they must cover all of the areas in a standard, they are able to place a focus on the areas they feel they are weakest in. Learners will also be able to see their own development in a workplace setting throughout the entire program.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For employers looking to get a better workforce, apprenticeships could be the answer.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to develop your Graduates<\/a>, Leaders & Managers<\/a> or Sales people<\/a>, get in touch to discuss our programs!<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many people still associate apprenticeships with the traditional, framework-based style and don\u2019t realise how much they have been revolutionised over the past few years to reskill, upskill and hone the skills of experienced professionals through apprenticeship standards. In fact, 58% of employers believe their middle and senior managers would be unwilling to be labelled as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[6,20,21,18,17,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apprenticeships-articles","category-blog","category-employer-news","category-graduate-news","category-news","category-top-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovery-adr.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}3.<\/strong> For employers, the biggest difference between a framework and a standard is likely to be how learners are deemed \u2018competent\u2019 to pass an apprenticeship.<\/h4>\n
4.<\/strong> The involvement of \u2018Trailblazers\u2019 in apprenticeship standards.<\/h4>\n
5.<\/strong> The experience a learner receives is hugely different between a framework and standard.<\/h4>\n