14 August 2018
The St Helena Community College (SHCC) has made changes to their Apprenticeship Scheme which will come into force on 1 September 2018.
The aim of the changes is to strengthen the capacity of the scheme to deliver consistent workforce development for St Helena, while helping to ensure that individual apprenticeships are linked to clear, measureable and achievable outcomes.
From September, in all but exceptional cases, apprenticeships will be expected to conform to one of the established Apprenticeship Pathways, each of which specifies the required qualification outcomes for a particular career route. In developing these pathways, SHCC has looked at training opportunities that are currently available on-Island.
Director of Education & Employment, Shirley Wahler, said:
“Apprenticeships are a great way for people to get started in the world of work. Many famous people, from Leonardo da Vinci to Jamie Oliver, started their careers as apprentices. Not all apprentices will become famous, of course, but every apprentice has the opportunity to gain confidence and new skills.”
Apprenticeship Pathways have been planned at Levels 1, 2 and 3 (see framework attached). These pathways, though comprehensive at this time, are not restrictive. As new needs and training opportunities are identified, SHCC will expand the pathway options as necessary. One goal of setting up the pathways is to encourage young people to think more broadly about their options by setting out clear guidance and a range of opportunities from which they may choose.
Another key aspect of this work is to introduce common standards and a degree of consistency and rigour to the expectation of the Apprenticeship Scheme. It is not however a ‘one size fits all’ approach, for example within the Level 2 Pathways, different career areas will have different required outcomes for English and Maths. These variations reflect the needs of the chosen career path and are common in apprenticeship schemes.
Although the majority of individuals applying for apprenticeship places will already have achieved Level 1 qualifications in English, Maths and ICT, where they have not, those qualifications will form part of the requirement for successful completion. For Level 2 Pathways, a specific apprenticeship may require Level 2 qualifications in one or more of these areas. Where a Level 2 qualification is required, it will form part of the training plan for that apprenticeship.
Level 3 Pathways have clear entry requirements attached, as might be expected for more advanced qualifications. There is scope for discretion in administering these guidelines and specific apprenticeship programmes can certainly take into consideration particular circumstances and factors. All apprenticeship programmes can be tailored to reflect any Special Education Needs or disabilities of potential apprentices.
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SHG
14 August 2018