Apprenticeships are a bit like a four-legged race. They have a start, a middle, and a finish line, and a team can only enter the race with all three vital team members – the apprentice, the apprentice employer and the provider of the apprenticeship training. The team members work together to achieve a successful outcome and the actions taken by any one member along the way will influence the overall outcome. Collaboration is crucial to the journey AND the destination. But there’s a fourth and often overlooked team member. The thing that holds it all together!
Team Member 1: The Apprentice
The apprentice is the primary focus in this race. They must engage in the training and invest wholeheartedly in getting from the start to the finish line to achieve qualification. But they also need a strong support from other team members. Without it, they are unlikely to reach the finish line and achieve qualification. Thirty six percent of all apprentices in England who start an apprenticeship fail to complete. Fortunately, the majority of non-completions are avoidable.
Team Member 2: The Employer
The employer is a vital member of the team and has a vested interest in getting the learner from the start all the way to achievement. In most cases, the employer pays for the apprenticeship training, either through the apprenticeship levy or by making a 5% contribution, but the costs don't end there. Employers also invest time and effort to train, support and supervise apprentices and pay their salary / wage along with any relevant expenses. Most apprenticeships only start to deliver a return on investment from year 2 onwards, some much later so if an apprentice fails to complete the employer never realises the increase in skills within the business.
Team Member 3: The Apprenticeship Provider
The apprenticeship provider is the third vital member of the team and is selected by the employer. Some words of caution here – not all providers are equal! It can take a lot of effort to find the right provider, but choosing carefully is crucial. The culture fit of the provider organisation, the quality of their programmes, the level of support they provide to the employer and the apprentice, and the frequency and quality of apprentice progress monitoring and reviews are important considerations.
Apprenticeship providers have a lot to lose when it comes to apprenticeship non-completions. 20 percent of a providers funding is withheld until completion – no completion, no payment. And both employers and apprentices are less likely to choose a provider with a poor completion rate. I know I wouldn’t.
Team Member 4: Supportive Technology
If we continue with the analogy of the four-legged race, and imagine our team members are tied together at the ankles, the quality of the support used to do the tying is the fourth vital component. A support that is applied poorly or is not a good fit for the team members will not perform well when it’s needed most.
Rubitek is the fourth team member
Rubitek is a complete apprenticeship software platform and the only one of its kind. It provides a three-way interface for all stakeholders and delivers benefits to everyone involved. The platform simplifies apprenticeships and reduces the administrative burden associated with delivery. It supports learning on the go and gives employers full visibility of apprentice progress to support end point assessment decisions. And for apprentices, the platform is both engaging and intuitive to use. Training materials are easy to deliver and access, activities are easy to engage with, evidence is easy to upload and evaluate, and the attainment of knowledge, skills and behaviours is easy to track in real time so that together, all team members can see where the apprentice is at any stage of their learning journey. Rubitek improves apprenticeship outcomes. For more info, check out our homepage:
Download a copy of our customer experience case study to find out what customers say about Rubitek.
To summarise
Technology should be an enabler, not a barrier and if you want to stand the best chance of winning that four-legged race, you should be embracing it. Rubitek is a purpose-built platform, designed to bring together and support all of the team members involved in an apprenticeship to improve the apprenticeship journey and maximise apprentice achievement.
If you’re an employer, ask your training provider about Rubitek or get in touch to find out more. If you’re a training provider and you’re not yet using Rubitek, get in touch to find out more information
Call: 0330 133 0540
Email: info@rubitek.co.uk
Visit us at: Digital Marketplace
Write to us at: Rubitek Solutions Limited, 4a Church Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7AA
Useful links and additional resources
Check out the ESFA register of apprenticeship training providers
Find us on the Digital Marketplace
We found this interesting article which features 8 questions to ask when "Finding the right apprenticeship training provider"
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