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Click here to view an update for parents, carers and guardians from The Skills Minister regarding Apprenticeships

ALPS works very closely with schools and colleges each week, delivering a range of Apprenticeship support activities under the ASK Programme. Last week we visited:

• Matthew Arnold School, Staines – Workshop for 22 year 11s who all registered on the Find an Apprenticeship website
• Reigate College Evening – Parent event for 520 year 12 parents
• St Peters School, Guildford – 30 year 12s and 13s attended an Apprenticeship Workshop and registered on the Find an Apprenticeship website.

Graduation 2022

Planning is well and truly underway for this year’s Apprenticeship Graduation on Friday 16th September.  An initial planning visit to Guildford Cathedral has taken place, the gowning and photography company has been booked and save the date/invitation designs are being developed.  It is likely that for 2022 we will have 400 attendees being able to graduate and they will be limited to one guest each.

Surrey Skills Leadership Forum

The Surrey Skills Leadership Forum (SSLF), is a strategic leadership body which sets the vision and supports the development of a demand-led, inclusive Surrey skills system. ALPS Network Manager, Sue Taylor is Chair of the Provider Group.

Click Here for the Forum’s Terms of Reference

ALPS out and about again!

It was so good to be back out with the Apprenticeship Hub on Friday at the major employer event held at Guildford’s prestigious Harbour Hotel.  The event was sponsored by the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, The Hub, Federation of Small Business and ALPS.  The event was attended by 100 delegate and there were interesting speakers from Nikki Morgan of the NHS and Angela Richardson, MP for Guildford.

The Hub reported that many employer leads were picked up and the team will be working through these to ensure that employers are matched to providers and the vacancies are filled as soon as possible.

This was the first event for ALPS in eighteen months, and lovely to see so many faces again – providers, employers, apprentices, partners and more!

Sue Taylor, Network Manager

Images by Paul Wilson Photography

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The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Apprenticeships has published its Annual Report.

One of the recommendations states:

“The Department for Education should continue to promote the work of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Scheme and support the delivery of a mentoring scheme which could be undertaken with each regional network.”

View/Download the APPG Report Here

The Government has launched the £7m Flexi-jobs apprenticeship fund along with the response to the consultation which closed at the end of May.

Further details can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/flexi-job-apprenticeship-offer

Apprenticeships have to be at least 12 months long; so some employers in sectors with flexible employment patterns and short-term roles, such as agriculture, construction and creative sectors including TV, film and theatre production, have found it challenging to unlock potential apprenticeship starts.

An extensive consultation exercise took place, seeking the views of employers, sector bodies, existing apprenticeship training agencies and apprentices themselves to inform the development of this policy and our plans for its implementation.

We are delighted to welcome GKA as the latest member of ALPS.

GKA provide apprenticeship programmes in the digital IT and project management disciplines. We offer Level 3 and Level 4 programmes across areas such as Data Science, Cloud and Networking, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Devops and Project Management.

For more information Click Here

We are delighted to welcome The Skills Network as the latest member of ALPS.

The Skills Network is one of the most successful providers of online learning solutions in the UK. Distance learning supports educators, employers, and learners across the UK, and internationally, by developing and delivering effective, innovative skills training and published educational content. The Skills Network has a variety of innovative products and services for your organisation.

For more information Click Here

The annual Apprenticeship Breakfast sponsored by the Federation of Small Business and the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network was not able to go ahead in the usual way due to COVID.  We would normally be mooching around very expensive cars at Mercedes Benz World but for this year, it was in our homes and on the TEAMS platform!

The meeting was chaired by Sue Taylor, Network Manager of ALPS and despite the change of format there were over 100 attendees! We were honoured to welcome the Skills Minister, Gillian Keegan MP who talked very positively about apprenticeships sharing her own pathway and how she started as an apprentice.  Nikki Morgan, Learning and development Manager of Frimley Health and Kelly Green, a Learning and Development Apprentice shared their story of working in the NHS and the challenges during the pandemic. Kelly’s story about changing careers and being given the opportunity to retrain was particularly inspiring.

Alison Galvin, HR Director at Invotra, who were the 2019 SME winners nationally for their contribution to apprenticeships, shared the story of the ethos of having apprentices within the organisation and Ryan Taylor who started his career on a Level 3 Software Apprenticeship showed us that anything is possible as he is now studying towards a Chartered Management Degree and has high aspirations to forward his career with Invotra.

Jodi Fair Manager of the Enterprise M3 Skills and Apprenticeship hub launched the new initiative and We welcome this new resource to the area, we will now have a place to send employers ensuring they will have the best opportunities in being matched to an employer and we hope we will be able to maximised the levy transfers to small and medium sized enterprises.

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Click Here for the latest news from our member formerly known as Whitehat!

Please click or Copy & Paste the link below for the latest information from Surrey County Council on COVID-19 Business Support.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-existing-economic-support/summary-of-existing-economic-support

The Surrey Covid-19 Community Impact Assessment has just been published by Surrey County Council. This is a summary report which explores how communities across Surrey have been affected by the pandemic, the support needed and priorities for recovery.

Download the report here

£3 million hub secured for apprenticeships and training in Hampshire and Surrey

PRESS RELEASE

Apprenticeships and skills training opportunities for jobseekers in Hampshire and Surrey will be given a welcome boost following the announcement of £3 million in new funding from Hampshire County Council and the European Social Fund (ESF)

Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education and Skills, welcomed the announcement, commenting: “This is fantastic news. The funding will help us to work with the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership to develop the Apprenticeship and Skills Hub, complementing the model operating successfully in the south of the county. 

Helping young people to develop core and employability skills to access better jobs in our future economy is a key element within our Employment and Skills Action Plan, developed in response to COVID-19. Additional funding, such as this from the European Social Fund, enables us to provide training linked to meeting skills gaps and apprenticeship opportunities in the local job market. In this way, we can target help to those facing the biggest barriers to employment.”

Hampshire County Council successfully bid for the £3 million project to deliver the Apprenticeship and Skills Hub, tendered by the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (EM3 LEP). Over the next three years, this Hub will provide at least 360 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and other apprenticeship levy-paying employers, with an impartial service to source apprenticeships and develop their workforce to both improve productivity and reduce the skills shortage.

Dr Jamie Mackay, EM3 Skills Strategy Manager said: “The EM3 Skills and Apprenticeship Hub builds on a need, identified through research in our Revive and Renew Action Plan, to match employers with people looking to re-skill or start a new apprenticeship. The scheme recognises the urgent need to make it easier for workers to re-skill in areas where there is an identified skills gap and help them back to work as soon as possible.”

Local businesses in Hampshire and Surrey can access support and request more information by contacting Hampshire County Council’s Skills and Participation Service. Email: skills.participation@hants.gov.uk.

As part of Hampshire’s Employment and Skills Action Plan, the County Council has set out a commitment to work with employers, schools, colleges, training providers and universities to promote apprenticeships as a route to developing new skills, securing, and sustaining employment, and improving business performance.

The partnership established for, and supporting, this project comprises:

• Hampshire County Council’s Skills and Participation Service
• Association of Learning Providers Hampshire & Isle of Wight (ALPHI)
• Association of Learning Providers Surrey (ALPS)
• Surrey Chamber of Commerce
• Federation of Small Business
• University of Winchester
• University of Surrey
• EM3 Growth Hub
• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
• Rushmoor Borough Council
• Surrey Employment & Skills Board

ALPS’s Network Manager, Sue Taylor, was on the panel of a webinar for SMEs run by Federation of Small Businesses a few days ago to provide valuable information on the Goverment’s Kickstart scheme and its link to Apprenticeships. This communication was received from Ray Abrahams of Surrey FSB.

Dear Sue

Nearly 300 SMEs registered to attend our webinar on the Kickstart Scheme and Apprenticeships which took place this morning.

Firstly, a huge FSB thank you for being a panellist and updating so many SMEs on the benefits of hiring an apprentice. You answered many participant questions which show a huge interest in apprentices going forward. Last week Mims Davies MP and Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions made it perfectly clear in a meeting that the Kickstart Scheme and Apprenticeships go hand in hand and are both a major ingredient to assist our economic recovery.

You expertly made that point and this was evidenced in the chat as you promoted the apprenticeships programme. Many thanks Sue. Very informative.

Regards,

Ray Abrahams
Development Manager, Surrey 
Federation of Small Businesses

A very warm welcome to our latest new member…

Cognassist is a unique SaaS platform focused on helping every learner reach their full potential and empowering learning providers for the future.

Our cloud-based platform identifies neurodiversity in under 30 minutes, provides personalised learner journeys which increases learner success, and delivers neuroscience training to enable providers to drive real change.

Please feel free to download the documents below for your office or workplace

A warm welcome to our latest member, WhiteHat!

WhiteHat is a tech startup on a mission to create a diverse group of future leaders. They are doing this by building an outstanding alternative to university through apprenticeships. 

WhiteHat focuses on three core areas: giving employers a framework for measuring potential outside of academics and work experience through their platform; bringing incredible content from around the world into applied learning programmes; growing an apprentice community to enable young people to build social capital and strong professional networks. 

n the UK, WhiteHat is at the forefront of enabling companies to use the apprenticeship levy to train a diverse group of future leaders in the technical skills they need. www.whitehat.org.uk

The Federation of Small Businesses has put together some vital and regularly up-dated advice and guidance for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed.

Click Here to view FSB’s Page

Government launches Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp

The new free to use service aims to provide official, trustworthy and timely information and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19), and will further reduce the burden on NHS services.

To use the free GOV.UK Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp, simply add 07860 064422 in your phone contacts and then message the word ‘hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started.

For more information, go the click HERE

Some apprentices are playing a vital role in the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic. Some apprentices are key workers and are even having to move out of the family home in order to continue safely working.

Weir Training have today paid for and delivered a food parcel to one of their apprentices who is working long shifts, cannot purchase food due to panic buying shortages and having no money until payday!

Our admiration goes out to all essential workers, including the apprentices, who are working so hard to keep us all safe. The rest of us can help to protect them by Staying Home.

Our thoughts are with our members, learners and all stakeholders during this extremely difficult time. We are reviewing the situation daily and continuing to operate within the limitations of Government advice and restrictions.

The Federation of Small Businesses has developed a vital online resource with Advice and Guidance or Small Businesses and the Self Employed (Click Here) and of course regular updates can be found on the Government’s GOV.UK website.

Please do everything you can to stay safe and healthy and to protect the health of others.

Here’s the final two presentations from the event at Mercedes-Benz World.

In this presentation, Bruce Hollobone from the National Apprenticeship Service provides the latest updates on the Digital Apprenticeship Service and its availability for Small and Medium (Non Levy-paying) Businesses.

Here’s three of the presentations from the event at Mercedes-Benz World. The remaining three will be be uploaded soon.

Following their recent Investors in People assessment, leading providers of education through sport, SCL, achieve We invest in people, Gold accreditation.

With just 17% of organisations achieving Gold accreditation, this outstanding achievement demonstrates that SCL not only see their people as key to their vision and mission, but more than that, they know that recognising and rewarding their people is the key to the organisation’s success.  

Alongside excellent departmental collaboration and peer working, the report highlighted that across the organisation, there is a strong commitment to developing all areas in a consistent manner; ensuring that the business strategy can be brought to fruition.

A key strength seen throughout the assessment was a shared passion around education and a genuine desire to see customers, partners and learners succeed.

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate SCL Education & Training.

“Gold accreditation for We invest in people is a fantastic effort for any organisation, and places SCL in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”

A government approved sports education provider, SCL work in partnership with 70+ football, cricket and rugby clubs across the country, from grassroots to Premier League, to deliver full-time education and sports development programmes.

Through their work with partners including Charlton Athletic Community Trust, Millwall Community Trust and Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, SCL provide opportunities for young people to take their first steps towards a career in sport and help create the next generation of sports professional. At SCL, From CEO to apprentice, everyone takes ownership to bring this vision to life.

The development of their staff is key to who SCL are, helping young people to thrive in sports education and achieve to the best of their ability goes hand in hand with having high quality and enthusiastic staff who want what’s best for their learners.

Lewis Field, CEO at SCL is extremely passionate about giving back to staff who go above and beyond. “We would like to thank our amazing staff for being an integral part of our exciting journey. We wouldn’t be where we are today without their outstanding commitment to SCL”.

A key part of SCL’s commitment to rewarding and recognising staff is the ‘SCL Excellence Awards’. Staff who go above and beyond are recognised and rewarded through the Excellence Awards Scheme. Each quarter SCL Staff are given the opportunity to nominate their peers against SCL’s values; Passionate, Inspirational, Excellence and Reliable, with quarterly winners being selected against these categories.

Quarterly winners are then invited to a prestigious Awards Ceremony at the 5* PennyHill Park and Mercedes Benz World, where they are rewarded with a truly memorable and outstanding VIP experience.

Steve Franks, CCO at SCL said: “We couldn’t be prouder to be continuing to invest in our people and their training and development, which in turn ensures our learners are given every opportunity on the journey with SCL to achieve to the best of their ability. We want to thank all our brilliant staff for making SCL a great place to work!”

Having focused on strengthening their people strategy over the past three years, Managing Director at SCL Education & Training, Brad Rushton, has continued to drive the initiatives that make SCL a great place to work, that Founders, Lewis Field and Steve Franks have put in place.

Brad Rushton, Managing Director for SCL Education & Training said: “We are extremely proud to have been recognised for our ongoing commitment to the development of our people, and in turn, our business.

“With just 17% of companies nationwide achieving Gold accreditation, this incredible result highlights the outstanding dedication, hard work and passion of each and every team member.”

A key driver in SCL’s recruitment and people strategy is the HR Dept who have been instrumental in SCL achieving this accreditation and ensuring that working at SCL is more than just a job.

The recent appointment of Charlotte Dumont as Head of HR at SCL is testament to how important SCL’s people are. Charlotte will now continue to take SCL’s people and culture strategy to the next level, leading on initiatives over the coming months to reinforce SCL as a great place to work.

Charlotte said: “What an amazing achievement for both SCL and their staff, what I have seen since joining SCL in November is extremely motivated and dedicated staff who live and breathe the values and go above and beyond every day to put their learners at the centre of everything they do.

“I feel privileged to work with such an amazing team at SCL and be part of such a forward-thinking organisation.

“My commitment to SCL will now see our people and culture strategy taken to the next level with a high focus on positively transforming and developing people, giving staff every opportunity to fulfil their potential and play an important part in the SCL journey.”

To learn more about SCL and to view current opportunities to work at SCL, visit www.workforscl.co.uk

ALPS together with FSB held a very successful Employer Event at Mercedes-Benz World last Friday. The undisputed highlights of which were the amazing presentations by Apprentices themselves!

Paul Wilson was on hand to photograph the event, here’s a link to the photo-gallery – you will just need to enter an email to view the images and you are welcome to download any you wish. Paul also captured the presentations on video, but this will take a bit longer to edit! We will post links as soon as they are available.

https://clients.p-wilson.com/alpsemployerevent-mercedesbenzworld/

Follow Photography by Paul Wilson on Facebook

‘Everything you need to know about Apprenticeships‘

Friday  7th February 2020
7:45am – 10:00am

 Mercedes Benz World

 Brooklands Drive, Weybridge KT13 0SL

 Free parking is available on site

Come and enjoy the wonderful surroundings of Mercedes Benz World and enjoy a light breakfast with the opportunity to talk to Training Providers, Apprentices and Employers.

The event this year, is being run by the Apprentices themselves and is being held at the end of Apprenticeship Week!  Come and hear from the award-winning Apprentice Employer of the Year, Invotra.  You will hear from Invotra Sales and Technical Apprentices about their experiences of working in as apprentices in their sector and how the company’s Apprenticeship Scheme enhances the business.

Apprentices from Aquiva will also be sharing their experiences including Surrey’s first ever Architectural Apprentice.

In addition, important Information will also be shared from the National Apprenticeship Service on the new Digital Apprenticeship Service for SMEs.

To reserve your place for this event please email sue@alpsurrey.co.uk

Event organised by ALPS in partnership with FSB

SMEs to benefit from access to the apprenticeship service

With immediate effect the ESFA is expanding access to the apprenticeship service to employers who are not one of the existing 22,000 levy-payers using the service already. This will be of enormous benefit to SMEs connecting with apprenticeships across England.

Non-levy payers will now have greater ownership, visibility and involvement with apprenticeships, funding and access to a wider range of high-quality training providers. This will mean that SMEs – that form 99 per cent of the businesses in the UK – will be in greater control of the apprenticeships that they engage with.

The early transition – from now until March – will be an initial test phase, during which time we will undertake large scale testing, seeking feedback from smaller employers and training providers. During the transition in 2020 we will continue to run contracts with training providers so smaller employers have a choice around how they access apprenticeship funding, joining the apprenticeship service when they feel they are ready.

During the test phase, additional funding will be made available for up to 15,000 new starts through the service.

As we enable smaller employers to use the apprenticeship service, we are introducing the ability for them to reserve a funds for training. This will allow us to forecast, monitor and manage apprenticeships funding within the overall budget for apprenticeships. To manage a gradual transition from contracted training provision to employers arranging their own apprenticeships through the apprenticeship service, employers will initially be able to reserve funding for up to three apprenticeships.

Smaller Employer Engagement Team
Education and Skills Funding Agency