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Apprenticeship Working Group. John Holton. Apprenticeship Working Group. The Life Science Industry provides high-quality jobs and highly skilled and technical roles, but the minimum entry qualification is currently perceived to be at a graduate level.
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Apprenticeship Working Group John Holton
Apprenticeship Working Group • The Life Science Industry provides high-quality jobs and highly skilled and technical roles, but the minimum entry qualification is currently perceived to be at a graduate level. • However this is model is not always supplying the ‘right people’ with the ‘right skills’ and keeping them • Industry often has to supplement a significant investment to ensure they are ‘work ready’
Apprenticeship Working Group Apprenticeship benefits for Industry: • Funding and Incentives for Employers for some Apprenticeships • Filling Skills Gaps • Increased Retention • Increased Diversification • Clear Pathways and Progression
Apprenticeship Working Group – the issues • A large pool of graduates • Lack of clarity and awareness over Apprenticeships as a whole – including the current Level 2 and Level 3, and even the new Higher Apprenticeship for Life Sciences. • Not valuing this as an alternative route • Lack of local provision • Poor appreciation of how Apprenticeships fit within the business needs • Difficulty in seeing the progression routes for the Apprentice into other roles within the organisation • The level of Apprenticeship was not always deemed appropriate for companies entry route • Lack of internal support resources for SMEs • Concern over increasing headcount • Lack of understanding about how to recruit an Apprentice.
Apprenticeship Working Group – current situation • High Level Apprenticeship in Life Sciences • contains a Foundation Degree in Biotechnology • knowledge delivered by the University of Kent through distance learning • Advance Apprenticeship in Laboratory Science • general qualification • Intermediate Apprenticeship in Laboratory Science • general qualification
Apprenticeship Working Group – recommendations • Embed the Apprenticeship model within Life Sciences Industries • Map current provision against employer needs and identify good practice • Develop alternative apprenticeship models to include HNDs and other Foundation Degrees • Develop an awareness raising campaign to inspire employer ownership and support particularly SMEs • Run pilot initiatives in the South East, East of England and the North West
Apprenticeship Working Group - anticipated outcomes • A marketable alternative pathway for entry into the industry other than graduate and post graduate entry • An understanding of where we are best placed to leverage the limited resources • Create an initial cohort of Life Science Apprenticeships • Promotional campaign for industry and learners • to understand the apprenticeship model • to raise awareness of the benefits (USP)