Preparing for apprenticeships

Making sure your organisation – at both head of service and supervisor level – is fully committed to supporting all aspects of the apprenticeship programme, including policies on diversity and inclusiveness.

Photo by Robert Gray

Long-term sustainability

Integrating your apprenticeship programme into workforce planning will provide a sustainable future for your scheme and support your goal of developing a motivated skilled and diverse workforce.

The IDeA apprenticeships checklist is a useful resource to help your organisation prepare for apprenticeships.

Political commitment and budget planning

The best apprenticeship schemes benefit from the interest, support and commitment of chief executives and senior management, as well as of the green space service. In at least one local authority the CEO can identify by name most of the apprentices.

Developing an apprenticeship programme is a long-term strategy. If you are a local authority, it’s essential that you secure political commitment to the approach. Read about the apprenticeship strategy at Oldham Council.

Having a distinct budget for your apprenticeship programme is an important part of making it financially sustainable. Appointing a dedicated co-ordinator for the programme will help it to run efficiently and effectively. The successful apprenticeship needs the employer to pay close attention to detail relating to work, training and personal issues likely to arise during the programme to maximise the benefits to the service and the apprentice. Read about planning for sustainability in the Royal Parks apprentice scheme.

Working with contractors

If your organisation works with contractors, building apprenticeships into your agreement with them will help you to improve skills and motivation and achieve long-term sustainability. The agreement must be specific concerning, for example, numbers and programme to avoid problems later.  While some contractors may be reluctant to take on green space apprentices, others recognise the business case and the payback within 18 months. They would appoint apprentices regardless of funding or contract. Local authorities that take a strong interest in their green space contractors, particularly their training programmes, are able to achieve a higher quality of service than those with a ‘hands-off’ approach. Read about contractor involvement in the Royal Parks apprentice scheme.

The Office of Government Commerce publication Promoting skills through public procurement contains useful guidance on how to embed skills and training in procurement.

Employment contracts and salaries

Some organisations take apprentices on as permanent employees, or invite existing employees to become apprentices,  while others opt for a fixed-term training contract with no guarantee of employment at the end. Making your apprentices permanent employees from the outset can be an effective way of fostering long-term commitment and loyalty.

Offering a decent salary is an essential part of attracting and retaining good apprentices. The minimum salary is set at £95 per week, but the National Apprenticeship Service recommends that employers pay a higher salary if possible (the average is £210 per week) and that the apprentice’s salary increases as they progress through their training. If you are paying the minimum wage, it can be effective to build in financial incentives for the apprentice, such as a bonus at the end of the first year or a salary increase after two years. Some training providers offer cash incentives to apprentices on completion of each year of training.

Age, race and gender diversity

All apprenticeship programmes would benefit from having a wide diversity of age, gender and race to represent the local community.

Your organisation must have a zero tolerance policy on all kinds of bullying and harassment. Employees from potentially discriminated groups need to feel comfortable in the workplace. This includes having access to appropriate facilities (such as women’s toilets) in place before recruitment and being treated with respect by colleagues. Remember that what one employee sees as harmless workplace ‘horseplay’ could be seen very differently by a young apprentice who is new to the organisation. This extends to verbal jokes, banter, pictures and calendars. The organisation sets the standard and monitors its enforcement.

If these issues are not tackled openly, minority groups will continue to be under-represented in the workforce.

Reflecting local context

Many employers involved in green spaces are keen to reflect their local context and make their workforce more representative of the communities they work with. An important first step is to understand local people’s perceptions of careers in the green space sector. To succeed, your attempts to engage the local community in apprenticeships will have to be imaginative and persistent and be based on an understanding of their perspectives which may discourage them from pursuing a career in the green space sector. See marketing your scheme for more information on understanding and changing perceptions.

Understanding your organisation

Before launching any recruitment drive, you should consider whether your organisation is doing anything which may deter people from under-represented groups from applying to the apprenticeship scheme. For example, if you’re hoping to attract people from ethnic minority groups, does your promotional literature paint a picture of an all-white workforce? If you want young people to apply to the programme, are your managers skilled at getting the best out of a team of younger and older people? See marketing your scheme for more information on engaging under-represented groups.

Learning from good practice

A strategic approach to apprenticeships

Oldham Council’s apprenticeship programme is a key part of a long-term strategy to regenerate the area’s urban parks.

Planning for long-term sustainability

The Royal Parks uses sound financial planning, effective resourcing and partnership working to ensure a sustainable future for its apprenticeship programme.