Industry apprentices will present their vision for the future Apprenticeships to the government’s Apprenticeships team this week.
The Industry Apprentice Council (IAC) will put their recommendations to government following a personal invitation from Skills Minister Matthew Hancock MP to round table discussions on the Richard Review of Apprenticeships.
The IAC, launched and funded by awarding organisation EAL, is set to meet with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Apprenticeships team on Thursday (July18).
The group of 14 young learners – from a range of UK employers – will expand on their official response, sent to BIS in May. In the response, the IAC gave their views on the implementation of grading and end of point assessment, whether off-site learning should be mandatory and how employers can be supported to engage learners.
Other key points the IAC made were: apprentices themselves need to play a bigger part in the development of Apprenticeships policy; improvements need to be made to careers advice in schools; and apprentices should be utilised to promote the pathway to young people.
Jordan Phillips, 18, a member of the IAC and a technical apprentice at Nestlé, said: “We have a goal: to change the way schools, parents, employers and individuals see Apprenticeships. We want to help improve careers advice in schools so that young people are aware of all the opportunities available. The IAC is rapidly becoming recognised as the voice of apprentices and I’m incredibly proud to be part of it.”
Ann Watson, Managing Director of EAL, the specialist awarding organisation for industry qualifications, established the IAC so apprentices could have a national voice for the first time.
She said: “We are thrilled industry apprentices will input directly into the future of Apprenticeships in the UK. The round table discussions on government’s Richard Review consultation are an excellent opportunity for the IAC’s members to have their say on government policy and help revolutionise the vocational pathway for learners across the country.
“The IAC was founded by EAL to give a voice to industry apprentices and enable them to lead the way – inspiring other young people to follow in their footsteps. It is our way of re-investing in the industries we serve and we hope the IAC will have a lasting impact in showing the real benefits that industry Apprenticeships offer.”
At the IAC’s official launch event – EAL’s Learner Voice parliamentary reception in May – Skills Minister Matthew Hancock MP personally invited the IAC to participate in round table discussions on government’s consultation on the Richard Review of Apprenticeships.
He said: “I would like to invite the Industry Apprentice Council to a round table on the Richard Review. As we have employers involved in a round table, as we have education organisations involved in a round table, I would like to invite the IAC to be involved too.”
The IAC consists of 14 apprentices aged 18 to 24 years old, from companies including: Airbus, BAE Systems, Caunton Engineering, DAF Trucks, Ford Dealerships, Ford GB, KMF, MBDA, National Grid, Nestlé, Rolls Royce and Vauxhall.
For further information or to get in touch with the IAC visit the official Facebook page.
