Apprenticeship Employer of the Year Award Category planner

Transcription

1 Who should enter? Open to employers from all sectors, the Apprenticeship Employer celebrates employers who can showcase their commitment, contribution and the success that apprenticeships have brought to their organisation. The categories acknowledge the different approaches taken to apprenticeships by organisations of differing size and length of involvement. Small Employer of the Year (for organisations with 1 to 24 employees) Medium Employer of the Year (for organisations with 25 to 249 employees) Large Employer of the Year (for organisations with 250 to 4,999 employees) Macro Employer of the Year (for organisations with 5,000+ employees) Newcomer SME of the Year (for organisations with 1 to 249 employees) Newcomer Large Employer of the Year (for organisations with 250+ employees) The Newcomer categories are only open to employers who have recently invested in Apprenticeships, since 1 May 2014, and can demonstrate the immediate benefits this has brought to them. Organisations returning within the last two years, after a time-lapse of more than five years (i.e. a minimum of five years gap before return) can also apply to this category. If you apply for small/medium/large or macro, and fit the criteria for the newcomer your application will automatically be transferred. We will contact you to make you aware. Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers The National Apprenticeship Service are once again looking to honour England s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. All employers who enter the awards will be eligible and those judged to be the very best of the best will be published and rewarded as a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer. How to enter Please read these guidance notes carefully before completing the online application form. The closing date for entries is 20 May Entries received after this date will not be accepted. Apply online at: apprenticeawards.co.uk Help with your entry Take a look at the Awards Q&As on the application site for more information. You can also call the helpline on where our team of experienced operators are on hand Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:00pm to answer your questions. Alternatively us at apprentice@mlr.co.uk. Completing the form Judges are looking for exemplar employers who can showcase their ongoing commitment, contribution and the success that apprenticeships have brought to their organisation. Make sure you give the judges hard evidence to base their decisions on. Include examples of best practice which makes your organisation s apprenticeship programme better than the next. Applications now allow you to attach photos and tables to help evidence the claims made in your responses. Use a chart, table or graph to help demonstrate metrics such as statistics, quantifiable information and comparative data. Remember to provide a base line to show how your programme has progressed. Enhancement All of the winners at the regional stage automatically proceed through to the national judging stage. A short period of time will be given for each winner to enhance their application with their latest successes and achievements in advance of the national judging panel.

2 This document has been created to help you plan your online entry. All entries must be submitted through the online process. The questions: Following is an example of the questions you will be asked to complete when applying: Your company details (main office address): Organisation name:* Postcode:* Address 1:* Address 2:* City:* County:* Company Registration No:* Parent/Subsidiary details: * Contact name:* Contact Position:* Contact * Contact Telephone:* Contact Mobile:* Twitter handle Apprenticeship details: Which category are you applying for? Please select Options to select are: Small Employer of the Year (1 24 employees) Medium Employer of the Year ( employees) Large Employer of the Year (250 4,999 employees) Macro Employer of the Year (5000+ employees) Newcomer SME (1-249 employees) Newcomer large (250+ employees) What is the status of your organisation?* Please select Options to select are: Public Sector Private Sector Other (please state below) Please expand if Other selected When did you start this apprenticeship programme? DD/MM/YYYY How many staff do you currently employ, including apprentices?* How many apprentices do you currently employ in your organisation?* How many apprentices have you trained over the last 5 years?* Newcomer only Is this your first apprenticeship programme? Yes No Newcomer only If no, please give the dates your previous apprenticeship programme ran between. Date from: DD/MM/YYYY Date to: DD/MM/YYYY

3 This document has been created to help you plan your online entry. All entries must be submitted through the online process. Apprenticeship details continued: The type of apprenticeship(s) to choose from?* Please select The industry sectors to choose from are: Agriculture, Horticulture, and Animal Care Arts, Media and Publishing Business, Administration and Law Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Health, Public Services and Care Information and Communication Technology Leisure, Travel and Tourism Retail and Commercial Enterprise Please select all your frameworks from the following categories Select frameworks* The drop down selection here depends on the Apprenticeship Frameworks chosen previously Your learning provider s details If you have a direct training contract with the Skills Funding Agency, please check this box. If not, complete the following: Learning provider name: Postcode:* Address 1:* Address 2: City:* County:* Contact name:* Contact Position:* Contact Telephone:* Contact *

4 This document has been created to help you plan your online entry. All entries must be submitted through the online process. Please tick if you have run or currently run a traineeship programme/offered traineeship work experience. In 200 words please describe: The traineeship programme Your partnership with the provider Number of traineeship places offered or currently offering Any evidence you may have of progression (a trainee that has moved to employment, onto an apprenticeship with you or another business).

5 All entrants answer questions 1 to 4. Newcomer entrants should also answer question 5. The judges recognise that apprenticeship programmes will be able to develop more tangible and measurable success indicators as they progress and mature. Use your responses to demonstrate your achievements to date, and provide the judges with as much tangible supporting evidence as possible. Question 1 Please describe your organisation s commitment and future plans for your apprenticeship programme. (Max 350 words) Demonstrate your commitment to your workforce by describing how you have embedded apprenticeships to date. An outline of your organisation and your apprenticeship programme. Explain why your organisation decided to invest in apprenticeships and how this investment fits within the overall organisational strategy. Details of how apprenticeships are integrated and embedded within your organisation. Describe the tangible measures your organisation uses to demonstrate the success of your apprenticeship programme. Your plans for developing and enhancing your apprenticeship programme, and if your entry is a resubmission, improvements made over the last 12 months. Larger employers must include your investment plans for apprenticeships across the business. Question 2 Please describe the benefits that apprenticeships have brought to your business. (Max 350 words) Explain your motivation for getting involved in apprenticeships. Judges are looking for evidence where your apprenticeship programme has enabled your business to improve, grow or perhaps even survive. Highlight the tangible organisational benefits that are a direct result of your investment in apprenticeships. Clearly link and demonstrate how your apprenticeship programme resulted in the organisational benefits highlighted above. Tangible before and after measures strengthen the entry. How you measure the value for money of your apprenticeship investment. Clarification of how the organisational benefits meet, or exceed, the initial goals for your apprenticeship programme. Larger employers must explain how they evaluate their programme and how this information impacts on future development plans.

6 Question 3 Please give examples of how your apprentices have benefited from training with your organisation. (Max 250 words) Judges are looking for excellent examples of how apprentices are personally benefiting from their apprenticeship. Supply success measures and evidence of the benefits your apprentices receive. How you support your apprentices, beyond the baseline requirements of the relevant apprenticeship framework(s) e.g. training, mentoring and ambassadorial activities. How you measure the organisational impact of increased apprentice competence and performance. Ways in which apprentices have benefited from the opportunities presented by the apprenticeship programme. Include relevant quotes from apprentices. Demonstration of how apprentices are integrated into the wider workforce, and evidence of progression/promotion/retention successes. Question 4 Please advise why you consider yourselves an exemplar employer. (Max 250 words) Explain to the judges what makes your apprenticeship model exceptional. Provide strong evidence of how you perceive yourself to be an exemplary employer. Why you believe your delivery of your apprenticeship programme is exceptional. Please make use of external validation/feedback if available. Examples of how you are committed to promoting investment in skills and sharing best practice through ambassadorial activities. Describe how your apprenticeship programme is mutually beneficial to both apprentices and your organisation. How your organisation supports apprenticeships both internally and externally e.g. partnership activities, sharing best practice. Indicate how you would promote apprenticeships during the next 12 months if you are selected as Apprenticeship Employer of the Year. Larger employers should evidence collaboration partnerships they have developed and community programmes they have implemented or been involved with. Consider highlighting work that has resulted in increasing the number of vulnerable and under represented groups in your apprenticeship programme. Show an exceptional delivery model evidencing not only how your business has benefited but the apprentices as well. Give examples of best practice, added value and how you act as a role model for other employers.

7 An additional question for newcomers only, providing you with an opportunity to describe the high points of your programme, and to tell the judges the critical factors that contributed to your success. Please indicate how you think your programme might inspire other employers to embrace apprenticeships too. Question 5 Describe the highlights of your Apprenticeship Programme to date. (Max 250 words) Photo and Table Attachment (optional) Please attach a Word or PDF document, no more than six pages and 3MB in size. (Max 250 words) Judges are looking for excellent examples of how apprentices are personally benefiting from their apprenticeship. Explain to the judges what have been the high points of your programme so far. Provide examples of individual apprentice success and achievement e.g. a mini-case study or feedback from a credible external source. What you see as the critical factors underpinning your achievements. Explain what you see as special and inspirational about your programme. If specific metrics/measures are not yet available, please provide appropriate and relevant anecdotal information which will enable the judges to determine the quality and impact of your programme. You are able to attach a document to help evidence the claims made in your responses. Use a chart, table or graph to help demonstrate metrics such as statistics, quantifiable information and comparative data. Remember to provide a base line to show how your programme has progressed. Up to two photographs may be included if they help to evidence your answers. Text contained in charts, tables or graphs should be counted towards the final word count. Please make sure that all charts are clear and in black and white, as your entry will be photocopied for the judges. The upload facility should not be utilised for items such as references, certificates, prospectus documents or training materials. Do not include hyperlinks to websites, videos or other information in any part of your entry. Ensure you do not exceed the 250 word count for the supporting document as if over word count it will be removed from your entry.

8 This document has been created to help you plan your online entry. All entries must be submitted through the online process. Resubmissions Only A resubmission is an entry which describes an apprenticeship and associated benefits which have been used as part of a previous entry within the past two years. Resubmitted entries are considered for another award based upon the progression made since the previous award was received (if applicable). If it is not considered that the resubmitted entry has reached the sufficient level of progress then no award will be made. Is this entry a resubmission? Yes No If Yes, please tell us the year you entered and the result 2014 Non Winner 2014 Regional Winner 2014 Regional Highly Commended 2014 National Highly Commended 2014 National Winner 2015 Non Winner 2015 Regional Winner 2015 Regional Highly Commended 2015 National Highly Commended 2015 National Winner For resubmissions only: Please describe the key progress you have made since the submission of the last entry. (Max 100 words)