Business Update - Issue 47 (August 2019)
Updated 1 November 2021
Applies to England
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1. Fire It Up campaign
The Department for Education’s apprenticeships campaign ‘Fire It Up’ is once again live. It is already showing positive results since its launch in January, with a 10% increase in young people’s consideration of apprenticeships.
The second phase of the campaign continues to target broad audiences such as young people and parents, but will also focus activity on those audiences that contribute to widening participation in apprenticeships such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds, women in under-represented sectors, low paid workers, people with learning difficulties or disabilities and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Look out for the adverts on TV, cinema, out of home poster sites, digital and social media.
1.1 How you can support:
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Post social media content on your channels using the suggested posts and supporting assets in the campaign toolkit, including relevant handles or hashtags: @FireItUp_Apps #FireItUp. The campaigns team will be looking out for your content and promoting across their channels as well.
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Share your apprenticeship case studies on your social media channels. DfE would also be interested in hearing about your case studies for potential PR opportunities so please do share them with Apprenticeships.CAMPAIGN@education.gov.uk - the team will be in touch if they can feature them as part of the campaign.
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Signpost to our Apprenticeships campaign site from your website and marketing collateral to make sure that people are receiving the most up-to-date information on apprenticeships.
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Post your apprenticeship vacancies on the Find an Apprenticeship service. This is a free service and receives over half a million visitors per month. Please encourage your organisation and partners to do the same. Instructions for how training providers can upload vacancies are available.
You can also view the Fire It Up phase 2 toolkit for more information.
2. Give your business a head start with industry placements
Businesses have the opportunity of a head start with industry placements - helping employers send their business forward, faster. Employers all over the country are already working with post-16 schools and colleges organising and offering students on relevant vocational courses a chance to put into practice their learning through structured and meaningful 45 day placements. The opportunity is available now ahead of T Levels, so that employers can be ready to benefit from the outcomes of the first T Levels .
These industry placements are an integral part of T Levels - a brand new qualification designed to give you a workforce of work ready students, with the relevant skills to help strengthen and grow your business. T Levels are new courses coming in from September 2020, and they will follow on from GCSEs and will be equivalent to 3 A Levels.
Take your business to the next level with industry placements and T Levels.
If you would like to find out more and see how your business can get involved, you can call us on 08000 150 60, email tlevel.placement@education.gov.uk or visit our guidance on GOV.UK.
Alternatively, we are exhibiting at a forthcoming event at the Childcare Expo Midlands, Ricoh Arena in Coventry, on 27 to 28 September 2019, 10am to 4pm. This is a free event aimed at early years and primary education leaders and professionals. Come and meet the T Levels team at stand E20.
Register for your free tickets now.
3. The regional finalists for the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019 have now been announced
The regional finalists for the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019 have now been announced.
The National Apprenticeship Awards recognise excellence in businesses that grow their own talent with apprenticeships, apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces and individuals who go above and beyond to champion apprenticeships.
A list of all the apprentice, employer and Apprenticeship Champion finalists is now available on GOV.UK
Throughout September nine regional ceremonies will take place across the country, where the winners and highly commended entries will be revealed. The results from the regional ceremonies will be published on GOV.UK, and announced on @Apprenticeships.
All regional winners will become national finalists in their category and will be invited to the glittering national ceremony held at Old Billingsgate, London, on 27 November 2019.
4. We want your views on creative and design apprenticeships
In July, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute) launched a review into the Creative and Design route.
The Review is currently half-way through an eight-week consultation, before it closes on 24 September 2019. These Reviews are all about ensuring high quality, to make sure apprenticeships are fit for the future.
Sarbjit Bath, Approvals Manager at the Institute, said:
We want to hear from as many employers involved in this sector, or anyone who has an interest in the development of these apprenticeships – including providers and apprentices.
Feedback is being welcomed on how these apprenticeships are working (and where improvements can be made), so don’t miss out on having your say.
You have four weeks left to share your views, and please feel free to share this information with any contacts you think might be interested in contributing.
Find out more here, and if you have any questions, just get in touch: IFA.CREATIVEANDDESIGNREVIEW@education.gov.uk.
5. The Institute’s travel claims app is coming soon
The Institute runs a discretionary scheme that helps small businesses (under 50 employees) meet the cost of travel to certain meetings.
From 27 August, the Institute are stopping the use of paper-based expense claims. Instead, expense claims must be made via a website or App. This will help speed up the process for paying eligible claims.
If this applies to you, you must register your details with the Department for Education and you will also need a log-in in order to use this web/App service. We will soon be updating our related website guidance on this so look out for more information.
In the meantime, if you’re planning on making a travel claim in the next few weeks then please contact lily.anderson@education.gov.uk.
6. Apprenticeships off-the-job training guidance and commitment statement template
We are updating the apprenticeships off-the-job training support materials to bring the text within the materials in line with the 2019 to 2020 apprenticeship funding rules text.
The suite of materials, which will be available week commencing 9 September 2019, will include a new guide (version 3) where we have added some additional clarity and frequently asked questions. There will also be an updated commitment statement, infographic and myths buster (all version 2).
As before, the commitment statement template is non-mandatory and training providers are free to use alternative templates, including their own. However, the completion of the ESFA template will ensure that the apprenticeship funding rules have been met.
7. Promoting your apprenticeship opportunities
Now that results days are over, students are assessing their options, and the next cohort are beginning their application journeys. We want to help employers make sure their apprenticeship opportunities are at the forefront by providing free vacancy advertising channels.
To take advantage of any of the below, please get in touch by emailing us at: Apprentice.Engagement@education.gov.uk.
Employers can advertise apprenticeships in the following ways:
- Higher and degree level vacancies can be showcased through the National Apprenticeship Service’s listing, which is promoted through our partnership with UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service), which are promoted directly to high calibre candidates
- Promote an organisation through our online company fact file ‘Vacancy Snapshot’ which links through to ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ for live apprenticeship vacancies
- Get involved with an apprenticeship broadcast through our partner Learn LIVE – working with organisations, this innovative, interactive, live online broadcaster can bring businesses apprenticeship opportunities and experiences directly into the classroom to promote a business to young people
- Our team can help get your apprenticeship vacancies listed and published on ‘Recruit an Apprentice’, the government’s go to place for advertising apprenticeships (a platform available to employers to advertise their apprenticeships at no cost, and endorsed by central government)