SKILLS ACADEMY WALES (SOUTH WEST) WORKBASED LEARNING CONSORTIUM

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1 SKILLS ACADEMY WALES (SOUTH WEST) WORKBASED LEARNING CONSORTIUM The Work Based Leaning Contract offers learners the choice of the following routes:- Apprenticeships The Welsh Government supports Apprenticeships in Wales as they fuel the future essential skills base of our nation. 81% of businesses say employing apprentices makes their workplace more productive. Apprentices can do great things for their employers but they need the chance to work and train. The Welsh Assembly Government pays the external training costs, leaving employers to pay only for the wage of the trainee. Apprenticeships in Wales are open to everyone, for young learners and those wanting to change their career pathway. Apprentices need to be in employment for most of the time as most training takes place on the job. The technical underpinning usually takes place at a local college or a specialist training organisation. Time is also spent off the job with a training provider often a local college or a work-based training provider studying for vocational qualifications. Apprenticeships in Wales are increasingly recognised as the gold standard for work-based training. Already, more than 130,000 employers offer Apprenticeships. Pembrokeshire College, Coleg Sir Gar and PRP Training have recently formed a consortium to deliver Apprenticeship training predominantly in West Wales. There are three levels of Apprenticeship available for those aged 16 and over: 1. Foundation Apprenticeships (equivalent to five good GCSE passes) Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as a QCF Diploma Level 2 (formerly NVQ), Essential Skills and, in some cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification. These provide the skills apprentices need for their chosen career and allow entry to an Apprenticeship. 2. Advanced Apprenticeship (equivalent to two A-level passes) Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as QCF Diploma Level 3 (formerly NVQ), Essential Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge based certificate. To start this programme, apprentices should ideally have five GCSEs (grade C or above) or have completed a Foundation Apprenticeship. 3. Higher Apprenticeships Higher Apprenticeships work towards work-based learning qualifications such as Level 5 Diplomas and, in some cases, a knowledge-based qualification such as a Foundation degree.

2 The Consortium currently offers apprenticeships in the following routes: Agriculture Automotive Beauty Business Administration Care Childcare Computing Construction Customer Service Electrotechnical Energy Technologies Engineering Hair Hospitality Leisure Sport and Travel Management Marine Engineering Plant Plumbing Retail Teaching Assistants Transportation Traineeships Traineeship (Engagement) The Engagement Traineeship is for eligible youth learners who: are assessed as needing to address a barrier (or barriers) to further learning or employment and/or; need to confirm or contextualise an occupational focus prior to entering further learning or employment. The Engagement Traineeship encompasses: The identification and addressing of a learning barrier (or barriers) that prevents the learner immediately participating in vocational or other learning at level 1, 2 or 3 or progressing into employment; and The use of employer work placements, community projects, voluntary work and centre based learning opportunities which aim to confirm or contextualise an occupational focus and provide learners with the breadth and flexibility of skills they need to enable them to participate in the work force and society at large, prior to progressing, at the earliest opportunity, to either further learning or employment. All learners entering an Engagement Traineeship must undertake a Basic Skills Assessment as part of a learner s initial assessment Traineeship (Level 1) The Level 1 Traineeship is for eligible youth learners who: are assessed as being occupationally focussed; and able to follow a programme of study at Level 1.

3 The Level 1 Traineeship encompasses: The identification and addressing of a learning barrier (or barriers) that prevents the learner progressing into vocational or other learning at level 1 or specified level 2, or entering employment; and The use of employer work placements, community projects, voluntary work and centre based learning opportunities to deliver a Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) qualification which tests occupational competencies at Level 1 or a Basic/Essential Skills qualification at level 2, relevant to the career aim of the learner, prior to progressing to either further learning or employment. All learners entering a Level 1 Traineeship must undertake a Basic Skills Assessment, unless evidence is available following progression from the Engagement Traineeship Traineeship (Bridge-2-Employment) This programme is for Traineeship eligible youth learners who: are assessed as occupationally focussed; and have completed a Traineeship Level 1 programme; and have attained, as a minimum, all of the following: o A Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) qualification (or units) which tests occupational competencies; o Essential Skills at level 1 in Communication, Application of Number and Information; o Technology qualifications; o Essential Skills Level 1 in Working with Others, Improving Own Learning & Performance and Problem Solving; o A Personal, Social, Health and Economic qualification or equivalent unit as identified by the Welsh Assembly Government; o A citizenship qualification or equivalent unit as identified by the Welsh Assembly Government; o An enterprise qualification or equivalent unit as identified by the Welsh Assembly Government. The Bridge-2-Employment encompasses the delivery of elements of a QCF qualification which tests occupational competencies at level 2 as defined by the learner s chosen occupational focus and prior learning. Providers will be expected to manage Programme Commission funding to facilitate the Bridge-2-Employment which does not exceed 15% of the total Programme Commission value; this proportion may be varied.in subsequent years. Bridge-2-Employment is linked to the payment of Training Maintenance Allowance (TMA) Eligibility for Traineeships Individuals who are 18 years and under that meet the criteria in this programme specification and are ordinarily resident in Wales are eligible for entry to the Traineeship element of the 14 to 19 Learning Pathway All entrants to Traineeships must be referred by Careers Wales (or another legitimate organisation/agency as notified by the Welsh Ministers) and require a written assessment. Traineeship (Engagement) Engagement Traineeship learners must attend learning for 12 hours or over in any 5-day period (Monday to Friday only). The maximum hours of attendance shall be 21 hours

4 (including hours attending day release courses and excluding one meal break per day) in any 5-day period. Within four weeks of entering the programme, Engagement Traineeship learners in attendance for fewer than 21 hours must be allocated home study projects equivalent in time to the difference between their agreed attendance requirements as specified on the Individual Learning Pathway Plan and 21 hours. For learners engaged for fewer than 21 hours after the first 4 weeks, payment of the non-means tested Training Maintenance Allowance (TMA) will be reduced accordingly Traineeship (Level 1 and Bridge-2-Employment) Traineeship Level 1 and Bridge-2-Employment learners shall normally attend learning for 30 hours or over in any 7-day period. The maximum hours of attendance shall be 40 hours (including one meal break per day) in any 7-day period. For the purposes of paying a Training Allowance for those Traineeship Level 1 and Bridge-2- Employment learners who are not employed and attending for less than 30 hours a week, payment of training allowances must be reduced proportionately Funding for Childcare Childcare support is available for non-employed learners who are lone parents. Eligible learners receive a contribution towards the costs of registered or accredited childcare, up to per week for the first child or per week for two or more children. STEPS TO EMPLOYMENT Programme Information and Eligibility for Steps to Employment Steps to Employment consists of two programmes (ie Work Focussed Learning and Routeways to Work). Entry to the most appropriate programme to meet the learner s needs will be determined through the Providers own assessment process. Individuals who are 18 years of age or over, have left full time education and are ordinarily resident in Wales, are eligible for entry to Steps to Employment programmes Specific eligibility requirements for adult learners in receipt of Department for Work and Pensions allowances Adult learners, aged 18 years or over and in receipt of Department for Work and Pensions allowances are eligible for Steps to Employment programmes. These learners are eligible for immediate entry to learning following completion of relevant Jobcentreplus and Provider documentation unless excluded. NB: learners may follow on from the New Deal Gateway or equivalent to the Welsh Assembly Government Work Based Learning programmes. Adult entrants seeking to join a Steps to Employment programme must undertake a pre-entry eligibility check with Jobcentreplus before taking up learning. All adult participants are eligible for a Learning Allowance, payable by the Department for Work and Pensions, in addition to any benefits paid if they transfer on to the allowance payment system. Work Focussed Learning Work Focussed Learning is for eligible adult learners who are not employed and who: are assessed as needing to address a barrier (or barriers) prior to entering employment, further learning and/or Routeways to Work; need to confirm an occupational focus prior to entering employment, further learning and/or Routeways to Work.

5 Work Focussed Learning encompasses: o The identification and addressing of a learning barrier (or barriers), including Essential skills, that prevents the learner immediately participating in employment, further learning and/or Routeways to Work; and o The use of employer work placements, community projects, voluntary work and centre based learning opportunities which aim to confirm an occupational focus and provide learners with the breadth and flexibility of skills they need to enable them to participate in the work force and society prior to progressing, at the earliest opportunity, to either employment, further learning and/or Routeways to Work. o The delivery of QCF qualifications which test occupational competencies above level 2, to allow the learner to progress, at the earliest opportunity, to either, employment, further learning and/or Routeways to Work. Routeways to Work Routeways to Work is for eligible adult learners who are not employed and who: are assessed as being occupationally focussed; and are able to follow a bespoke programme of learning which meets the current or future vacancies of a particular business, businesses or economic sector as identified by DWP/JCP. Routeways to Work encompasses: an identified employer, group of employers or economic sectors, in Wales, that are actively seeking to recruit individuals that are not employed; and a bespoke programme of learning, up to 8 weeks in length, which meets the needs of the recruiting employer; and the offer of a job interview upon completion of the learning programme. All learners entering a Routeway to Work must undertake a Basic Skills and applicable occupational Routeway assessment as part of their initial assessment, unless the evidence is available following progression from the Work Focussed Learning. For more information about Work Based Learning in Wales please visit the WAG website:- content/work_based_learning_faq/;jsessionid=pmkgmtth0dnnhwptnlzgpjggc3lshy2h2wslgqnnc8rtzdvqpg03! ? lang=en