Evolving Apprenticeship Standards: The critical role of workforce and employer needs

As we await more details on the government’s plans for the implementation of Skills England and what the scope of the skills and growth levy might be, we shouldn’t lose sight of the great collaboration across a range of industries that has created fantastic quality training and learning, including through apprenticeship programmes.

Making employers central to the development of apprenticeship standards, ensuring that training is closely aligned with the needs of industry and adequately prepares apprentices for the demands of their roles, has been integral. By collaborating with industry bodies, educational providers, and IfATE, employers have helped to design standards that specify the essential skills, knowledge and behaviours required for their professions. This involvement has enabled employers to shape a workforce that is both skilled and ready to meet the changing challenges of their organisations and customers.

But the relevance and currency of apprenticeship standards depends on their ability to adapt to the ever-changing needs of employers and their workforce development challenges. As industries need to shift in response to new technologies, economic challenges and societal changes, apprenticeship programmes must evolve to stay aligned with sector needs. It’s incumbent on the custodians and managers of apprenticeship standards, to ensure that we are constantly monitoring and developing standards to maintain their veracity.

At the heart of this evolution lies the strategic use of workforce data and a deep understanding of employer needs.

Why workforce data matters

Workforce data is more than just numbers. It’s a powerful tool that helps us understand the current and future demands of the labour market. By leveraging this data, we can ensure that apprenticeship standards are not just meeting today’s needs but are also preparing apprentices for the challenges of tomorrow.

One of the key benefits of using workforce data is its ability to highlight areas where there’s a shortage of skills. By identifying these shortages, we can tailor standards and training programmes to equip apprentices with the most in-demand skills. In the sport and physical activity sector, through data generated from thousands of skills diagnostics with employers across the country, we know which skills, and within which types of roles, employers are experiencing skills gaps that are having an adverse impact on their business and/or operations.

Workforce data also allows us to forecast future trends. This is crucial because it enables us to proactively adjust apprenticeship standards, ensuring that apprentices acquire skills that will keep them competitive in the job market over the long term.

Regularly analysing workforce data ensures we can keep apprenticeship standards relevant, optimise pathways to create professionals who are not just qualified but also ready to meet employers’ expectations head-on.

The importance of understanding employer needs

Employers are at the heart of the apprenticeship system, and their input is invaluable in shaping standards that are both relevant and practical. Direct feedback from employers ensures that apprenticeships are not just theoretically sound but also practically applicable.

In the sport and physical activity sector, the Professional Development Committees and Board for the sector are integral to this. Made up of representatives from employers across the sector and education and training providers, they collaborate to understand how the sector is changing and how standards need to adapt to maintain their value.

Incorporating feedback from employers into the revision of apprenticeship standards ensures that the training remains aligned with what’s actually needed in the workplace.

A great recent example of this has been the creation of the ‘dry-only’ pathway for the Leisure Team Member apprenticeship. The apprenticeship standard for Leisure Team Member included a significant amount of content based around pool management, with final qualifications including awards in pool lifeguarding and teaching swimming. This meant that venues without ‘wet facilities’ struggled to accommodate the requirements for an employee to be able to complete the apprenticeship. This is significant as around half of health and fitness facilities do not include a pool.
Earlier this year, following calls from employers, IfATE approved a change to end-point assessments which provides a dry-only option, meaning that more employers, particularly those without pools, will be able to benefit from an apprenticeship.

Collaboration is the key

This continual evolution of apprenticeship standards to address employer needs is critical, but for more people and businesses to benefit from an apprenticeship we also need to be driving innovation to overcome challenges.

In the sport and physical activity sector, 56% of our workforce works within an SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) and over half of the businesses in the sector are micro-businesses. It can, therefore, be challenging for smaller organisations to provide access to a full range of opportunities for an apprentice to be able to be accessed across all areas of a standard.

To tackle this barrier, employers and training providers in the sector are collaborating to offer more opportunities.

Employment and education charity, Coach Core, who work with 16-24 year olds who traditionally may experience barriers, discrimination, and lack of opportunities, have used innovation and collaboration to deliver sports coaching apprenticeships with small employers.

Across North East England, Coach Core is connecting small employers who are unable to support a full apprenticeship to allow apprentices to complete their programme working across, and being assessed in, multiple organisations.

This is benefiting multiple employers who ordinarily would be unable to engage with apprenticeships, enable young people to develop skills, knowledge and a career path, and helping more communities experience the benefits of active wellbeing.

They also provide targeted support to smaller employers, helping them navigate the complexities of an apprenticeship programme, which is crucial for organisations with limited resources.

Making it relevant

At the other end of the scale, large leisure services operators like Serco Leisure are embedding apprenticeships as part of their talent development, offering opportunities for both new entrants to the business and existing employees to develop their skills across different areas of the business.

As a sector, in sport and physical activity it feels that we are somewhat late to the party on apprenticeships but the employers that have been engaging are really feeling the benefits, not only in relation to addressing their skills gaps but also in terms of developing the mentoring skills of experienced staff and in relation to greater loyalty and staff retention.

We’re continuing to work with employers across the sector to keep evolving standards and to increase the number of opportunities that are available. As with a lot of sectors there’s some myth busting to do around what types of organisations and roles suit an apprenticeship. In our sector, it’s about not just showcasing the obvious roles like Sports Coach and Personal Trainer, but also the opportunities for roles such as Community Sport and Health Officer.

In what can feel like a pretty turbulent labour market, using workforce data and understanding employer needs to evolve apprenticeship standards is not just important – it’s essential. Like many sectors, we welcome the emphasis that the government appears to be placing on skills and increasing opportunities for all. We look forward to policy continuing to drive data-driven decision-making and strong employer partnerships so that we can ensure that apprenticeships continue to provide the skills and knowledge needed for employers, and apprentices, to thrive.

By Colin Huffen – Associate Director (Workforce Policy), The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)

Colin Huffen is responsible for leading the development of professional and apprenticeship standards at the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), the professional body responsible for the sector. Colin was previously the Strategic Lead for Sport Policy at the Association of Colleges (AOC), has led training and development across a number of sector bodies and has held roles as Curriculum Manager and Lecturer at further education colleges.