Apprenticeship ‘Here to Help’ Service Launched to Support the Sector during COVID-19

Training providers, employers and apprentices can seek free support, guidance and reassurance during the Coronavirus outbreak with a new dedicated helpline launched by Professional Assessment Ltd (PAL).

PAL, experts in assessment, funding and quality within the work-based learning sector, will have specialists on hand to provide advice on how the Coronavirus outbreak impacts apprenticeship programmes and provide friendly guidance. The ‘here to help’ freephone number and email address is available from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Managing director, Linda Martin, said:

“PAL’s ‘here to help’ support is available to anyone within the sector, not just our clients. Apprenticeships provide an amazing path into lifelong careers and we’re keen to keep the apprenticeship community going during these tough times. We hope that when the restrictions are lifted, people will be able to pick up the threads and continue to build a word-class apprenticeship offer.”

The team at PAL has vast experience in apprenticeship delivery. They’re able to provide advice on maintaining apprenticeship programmes during Coronavirus, end-point assessment, apprenticeship standards and training, funding rules, apprenticeship furlough and redundancy, careers guidance, and other training opportunities.

Linda continued: “With so many people furloughed at the moment and each situation being unique, it’s so important that information, advice, guidance is accessible for training providers and employers and we’re keen to support that. Our team are also able to support apprentices if they need a chat or some reassurance about their end-point assessment.”

The service also provides a listening ear for those struggling during these unprecedented times.

Linda concluded: “We want people to know we’re here to help. Not everyone will need expert technical advice, but isolation can be difficult for all sorts of reasons. So just pick up the phone and we’ll be happy to chat to you!”