How Has COVID Affected Apprenticeship Learning?

When there’s a challenge, there’s a solution.

We asked Paul Fegan, Head of Apprenticeships at Alpha Development to tell us three challenges that employers and apprentices may be facing this year, and how we can support in facilitating solutions. Here’s what he said:

1. Talent sourcing
   The number of apprenticeships in England has dropped this year, and together with the general decline in the job market, this has made any apprenticeship vacancies hugely popular. There is a lot of competition for the apprenticeship opportunities that exist. This is great for the banks because they have access to a deep pool of talent, and are able to offer opportunities to the most capable. We support our clients to make sure that the selection process we put in place properly identifies the best candidates.

2. Onboarding apprentices during lockdown
   This has been difficult, but not impossible. We have included more support content in our induction programmes on how to work remotely, how to network effectively, and have focussed on well-being while working from home. Moving from an educational setting to the world of work is a big transition at the best of times, so we have had to make sure that our younger learners are fully supported in this move.

3. Additional workloads
   Some employees have had to take on the work of their colleagues and as a result have found it hard to keep up. Apprenticeships are also available for existing staff. A number of our programmes cater for this and gives employees the professional qualifications that they need in their roles.

How has COVID affected apprenticeship learning?

“Despite the difficulties of 2020, we are seeing some real success stories. Individuals who are using what they learn on the apprenticeship programme to advance their careers. Feedback from line managers who say that they can see the difference in their staff performance as a result of the apprenticeship. Employees who are having to do English as part of the apprenticeship, and are benefitting from this, which would never have happened without the apprenticeship.

Virtual delivery has been difficult, but we used the requirement to deliver in this way to implement some changes which we had long been talking about. This included re-training our faculty to deliver virtually, and putting extra steps into our course design process to ensure that our virtual delivery is interactive and engaging. These are positive changes which will remain in future programmes.” – Paul Fegan.