National Apprenticeship Week – highlighting the opportunities

This week’s National Apprenticeship Week showcases the success of apprenticeships and recognises that apprenticeships can bring exciting opportunities. The evolving policy landscape of apprenticeships can present various challenges, but a well-designed apprenticeship system could be beneficial for both employers and education providers. For example, the 2016 CBI/ Pearson Skills Survey* found that 77% of employers are expecting to need more staff with a higher level of  skills . As the demand for skills is thought to be “rising fast”, taking on apprentices could give businesses the flexibility and control to develop their workforce and broaden their talent pool. In relation to education providers, a report by Universities UK suggests that apprenticeships could bring immense opportunities for institutions in the education sector, especially in relation to degree apprenticeships, as more collaboration and engagement with businesses will create closer links with employers and local organisations.

Apprenticeships have been subject to a lot of legal tinkering; for example, the introduction of apprenticeship standards and the new apprenticeship levy. With a deep understanding of the education sector and commercial and employment law expertise we are well placed to help you through the myriad of legal, practical and strategic issues relating to apprenticeship provision, whether as training provider or employer, or both. We have advised on a number of legal issues relating to the apprenticeship system and contracts, ranging from procurement, to consumer protection and data protection issues.   We have also assisted education clients as employers subject to the apprenticeship levy and looking at questions such as ‘what can the levy funds be spent on?’.  Please do get in touch if we can help