Agenda item

[To consider a report on Apprenticeships].

The Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills introduced a report on apprenticeships.  He stated that in Germany you would not find a major manufacturing industry that didn’t have someone with an Engineering degree on the Board of Directors.  The education system in the UK had been for a long time dominated with a view of the importance of a classical education, rather than a practical focus.  The pressure to achieve a target of 50% of all young people attending University had negatively affected apprenticeships.  The Government had started to listen about the importance of practical learning.  Through the work of the Scrutiny review and the ongoing work subsequently, the Local Authority and the City of Wolverhampton as a whole had benefited.

The Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills commented that the Local Authority now spent all of its apprenticeship levy.  The authority was increasing its apprenticeships and were working with organisations within Wolverhampton to try and ensure people had the opportunity to learn on the job and be certificated.  Apprenticeship co-ordinators had been allocated to all the Local Authority schools in Wolverhampton.  A City Apprenticeship Group had been established.  They were also supporting Managers with the Council to look at whether a suitable apprenticeship was the best way to fill a vacancy.  He believed this was the right approach in conjunction with a more supportive recruitment process.              

The Head of Organisational Development and Apprenticeships gave a presentation to the Scrutiny Panel.  A copy of the slides are attached to the signed minutes.  Some of the main points were as follows: -

·       Across the City there were 104 different apprenticeship standards being used with businesses.

·       The Council had increased its 2016/17 offer of level 4 sector apprenticeship standards to a current offer of 27 from level 2 -6.

·       The level of qualifications to undertake apprenticeships had been revised.

·       The age ranges for people undertaking apprenticeships at the Council was monitored compared to the rest of the City. 

·       The Council had setup the tools to become an exemplar employer.  The pay scale had been improved, information for managers and the recruitment process had been improved.

·       The Council was utilising apprenticeship standards to upskill current employees.

·       Apprenticeship standards were made up of two parts, Learning and Knowledge training and End Point Assessment.

·       Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeship standards could be started without a formal English and Maths qualification.

·       With any apprenticeship standard the apprentice had to achieve the level 2, English and Maths qualification prior to the End Point Assessment.

·       If a person had recorded a special educational need they would be able to undertake a level 2 or level 3 apprenticeship and achieve entry level English and Maths at the End Point Assessment. 

·       For people undertaking a level 4 and 5 apprenticeship there would be an expectation that they hold a level 2 in English and Maths when recruited onto the programme.  

·       There had been an increase in the apprenticeship levy spend, which had increased to £614,398 compared to £105,752 in 2017/18. 

·       The Council had undertaken levy transfers.  To date the Council had supported Wolverhampton Homes and 2 academies. Linking with the WMCA. 

·       In 2018/19 there were 3.06% of the workforce undertaking apprenticeships compared to 1.58% in 2017/18.  The public sector target of 2.3% had been exceeded. 

·       There would be a new Apprenticeship 2020 project working with specialist suppliers and internal services. 

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills asked for his personal thanks for the work of the Head of Organisational Development and Apprenticeship to be recorded.

Members shared some of their own personal experiences with apprenticeships. 

A Member of the Panel stressed the importance of helping people with learning disabilities to reach their potential, if they wished to undertake an apprenticeship. 

There was a discussion about Small and Medium Enterprise Businesses (SME).  The Head of Enterprise remarked that 95% of businesses were an SME in Wolverhampton.  They had been targeting 250 SME’s as part of an engagement project.  The Head of Organisational Development and Apprenticeships added that a number of SMEs had attended the City Apprenticeship Group breakfast sessions.