Government Skills
19 May 2008
This week is Adult Learners’ Week, with Learning at Work Day on Thursday 22 May. Government Skills will be continuing work with departments on the apprenticeship pathfinder, a pilot to deliver an apprenticeship scheme for government.
Adult Learners’ Week encourages all adults across the UK to keep learning – whatever their job, background or age, and whether for pleasure, to fill a skills gap or work towards a promotion or new job. It also brings individuals’ learning acheivements to a wider audience to inspire others to follow their example.
Adult Learners’ Week has been running since 1992 and is coordinated by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and supported by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the European Social Fund. Learning at Work Day on Thursday 22 May is the week’s centrepiece and is run by the charity Campaign for Learning. This year’s theme is ‘Sustainable Workplaces’.
As part of its three-year Skills Strategy to promote the lifelong learning and development of government staff, Government Skills is starting an apprenticeship pathfinder with departments and agencies.
Apprenticeships have traditionally only been available to new recruits under the age of 25, but the pathfinder will also offer this qualification to existing members of staff of all ages. It is hoped that by offering apprenticeships to a wider range of staff, the pathfinder will test how well the qualification supports the development of new skills and increases opportunities for career development.
Apprenticeships are made up of:
These are delivered through a mix of work-based learning and assessment and workshops. Apprenticeships on offer through the pathfinder will include team leader and first line management, business administration and customer service.
The apprenticeship pathfinder is designed to be more flexible in approach and appeal to different groups of staff. In September this year, 500 apprenticeships will get underway in departments including the Ministry of Defence, Department for Work and Pensions and UK Borders Agency. The pathfinder will use existing frameworks wherever possible. Government Skills will judge its success on whether it manages to target the right people and have a positive impact on individual and organisational performance.
It comes at a time when government is aiming to increase apprenticeships for the economy as a whole over the next ten years. Currently, public sector apprenticeships make up less than 10% of apprenticeships nationwide, although 20% of the nation's workforce is employed in the public sector.
The pathfinder will be formally launched by David Lammy, Skills Minister, in July 2008. On increasing apprenticeships in the Civil Service he said:
‘This is going to be a tough ask for many parts of government, and I do not underestimate the substantial cultural shift in both national and local government that this will require. However, I believe that not only will we be playing our part in meeting the apprenticeships and skills challenge, we will also be enriching our organisations with new and inspiring talent which we can nurture to the benefit of us all.’
Apprenticeships provide employers with the chance to develop a more confident, professional workforce with the skills to excel in their roles and ability to adapt to change. Relevant training through apprenticeships gives employers a real chance to develop productivity, efficiency and motivation.
An apprenticeship offers focused work-based training and development and a formal qualification, helping you excel at your role with increased confidence in your skills set.
For more information, see Apprenticeships.
