Background to the new trailblazer apprenticeships
Back in 2012 the Government undertook a review of apprenticeships which made several recommendations and, critically, put employers in the driving seat. The growth of apprenticeships is a central tenet of government strategy for economic growth, with the aim of improving employability, resolving skills shortages and increasing productivity in the UK. The Government has set a target to recruit 3 million apprentices in this parliament.
Click here to find out more about the background to the development of the new apprenticeships in our FAQs.
Apprenticeship standards
Apprenticeship Standards are the specifications upon which the training is based on and are developed by the trailblazer standards development group which includes leading companies in the sector relevant for that standard. The Waste and Resource Operative Standard at Level 2 has been designed by a group of leading waste and resources management companies. CIWM has been involved in the development of this standard working with key organisations in the sector.
In addition to this sector specific standard, there are several other new apprenticeship standards which are in development and relevant for our sector. For a list of these apprenticeships view question 12 of our FAQs.
The Level 2 Waste and Resource Operative apprenticeship standards are now available and have been approved for delivery - view them here
Funding apprenticeships
The Government introduced the levy for employers with a wage bill of more than £3m in April 2017. Administered through HMRC PAYE large companies are paying 0.5% of their wages bill into an Apprenticeship Service Account each month. A company has two years in which to spend the money. The ways in which this money can be spent is based on stringent eligibility criteria.
The levy is UK-wide, however the rules regarding how the money can be spent differs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England monies in the Apprenticeship Service Account (where the levy is held for each contributing organisation) may only be drawn down to pay for apprenticeship training. For information on apprenticeships in the devolved nations see question 6 in the FAQs.
Format of the training
Apprentices must spend 20% of their time in training and this training may only be delivered by approved training providers listed on a Government register. The training can be delivered by classroom learning, online learning and directed learning (for example reviewing
specific company policies and procedures and reporting on these). For more information on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers and how to choose a training company, view question 11 on the FAQ.