This year, Apprenticeships 4 England have launched a national campaign in order to better promote the apprenticeship programme. Their aim is to ensure both training providers and employers hiring apprentices do their utmost to provide a quality teaching, learning and skills development experience for all apprentices.
As a leading training provider in the fitness industry, it’s our pleasure to make the ‘Love Apprenticeships’ pledge. We firmly believe that apprenticeships contribute significantly to businesses that employ them and that apprentices are the lifeblood of the future economy.
We frequently champion the vast benefits of apprenticeships, which include increased productivity, greater employee retention and a more motivated and satisfied workforce just to name but a few. Given the data published by the Skills Funding Agency about the success of apprenticeships, it’s pretty hard to refute any of the positives.
We would like to invite all our apprenticeship partners, past, present and future, to join us and make the apprenticeship pledge.
The Pledge
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- A job with a productive purpose
While on the programme, an apprentice should experience the same terms and conditions as other employees. There should also be clear progression opportunities and the chance to increase skills.
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- An employment contract and a fair wage
As a legal requirement, an apprentice under 19 should be paid a minimum of £2.73 an hour. As responsibilities increase and skills develop, an apprentice’s wage should reflect this.
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- High quality training and clear individual development
An apprentice’s training must be relevant to their job and recognisable within the industry – they must also been given sufficient time to undertake further training and study throughout their programme. A clear system for supervision, mentoring and support must also be provided by appropriately-trained colleagues.
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- Opportunities that are accessible to, and achievable by all
The apprenticeship programme should be accessible to the widest possible demographic. Effective support should be given to those from disadvantaged groups to ensure they get the most out of their apprenticeship.
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- Promote an environment that adheres to health and safety legislation
The training provider and the employer must work closely together to ensure a safe working environment for the apprentice. Attention should be paid to the individual needs of the apprentice, and they should be given sufficient health and safety training to enable them to perform their role effectively, and so that they can safeguard themselves and their colleagues while they are at work.
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- A commitment from the employer to use an apprentice to complement the existing workforce, not replace it
Apprentices should be used to fill genuine skills gaps and plan for any future gaps that may arise. The employer should ensure that apprentices become an integral part of the workforce, rather than a means of securing cheap labour.
