Total People welcomes positive sounds on new apprenticeship reforms but calls for greater clarity on the detail and implementation

Melanie Nicholson, Managing Director of leading apprenticeship and work-based learning provider Total People, has welcomed some of the governments recently announced reforms to apprenticeships, while calling for more details on how they will be implemented so the practical implications of the changes can be fully assessed.

Leading apprenticeship and work-based learning provider Total People has welcomed changes proposed by the government to apprenticeships that aim to start to remove key barriers for learners, employers and training providers.

While welcoming the changes in principle, Total People has called upon the government to urgently provide more details around the announcement so that providers can start to understand how the changes can increase participation and remove barriers to achievement.

The recently announced reforms include adjustments to functional skills requirements, streamlining end-point assessments and a reduction in the minimum duration of an apprenticeship from 12 to eight months.

Following the government announcements, Melanie Nicholson, Total People Managing Director, commented:

“The announced flexibilities to apprenticeships provide a positive signal that the government has been listening to the sector and is starting to look to make apprenticeships as accessible as possible for learners and employers alike.

“On the face of the announcements the changes represent a much-welcomed step forward in further refining and enhancing apprenticeships to ensure that they play a vital role in addressing the skills needs of the economy.  

“However, the devil will be in the detail and at this stage we are still eagerly awaiting further guidance on how these changes will be implemented so that we can fully assess and understand the impact they will have for learners, providers and employers.

“So far the announcements have been high level and lacking detail, with the exception of functional skills where some of the details around implementation are now starting to be provided.

“As such we are keen to see the finer details of how these adjustments will be rolled out and what measures will be in place to ensure that they both further enhance the appeal of hiring an apprentice for employers and protect the high standards of quality that currently exist.”

Total People works with large volumes of learners every year to help them to gain the skills they will need for a career through apprenticeships in Engineering and Construction, Childcare & Education and Professional as well as, short courses, 16-19 education courses for young people and other qualifications. As part of this it works with employers to help them develop their workforces to ensure their employees have the skills required to drive growth.