New manual published today to support flexible apprenticeships in construction

Posted on: 28 April, 2021

A new manual, co-authored by industry and government, has today been published to set out how flexibilities in apprenticeships can be used and delivered in construction to meet the needs of employers and apprentices.

Apprenticeships have been on a transformational journey since 2012, with reforms such as the introduction of employer-led standards leading the way in ensuring apprenticeships are relevant, high quality and meet the skills needs of employers.

In 2020, the Prime Minister committed to building on this success, and making apprenticeships more flexible to better meet the needs of employers and apprentices.

The ‘Flexible Apprenticeships in Construction’ manual, published today, sets out:

• how the delivery of apprenticeship training can be flexed to meet employer needs; and
• how the length of an apprenticeship can be reduced where an individual has existing relevant knowledge or skills.

Some employers are already making use of apprenticeship flexibilities and are seeing the benefits of this in workforce satisfaction, productivity and improved value for money. This includes employers who co-authored the manual alongside government and industry bodies.

UCEM want all employers to think creatively about how they can tailor apprenticeship training to meet their needs, be it through a flexible delivery model, such as front-loading which can support apprentices new to the sector to hit the ground running, or delivering accelerated apprenticeships for more experienced individuals who are able to build on their existing skills and complete more quickly.

If you are interested in finding out more about front-loading, accelerated apprenticeships or the wider range of delivery models, take a look at the manual or visit www.gov.uk/employ-an-apprentice for more information.

You may also be interested in contributing to the consultation launched on 20 April to deliver new flexi-job apprenticeships in industries where employment is often project-based and short-term, such as the creative industries.

Employer incentives payments, in place until September 2021, mean there is £3000 available for every apprentice hired.