Common Myths
Apprenticeships aren’t relevant to the Public Sector as they are focused on ‘traditional industries’ such as manufacturing.
This is not true. There are nearly 200 Apprenticeships to choose from in over 80 sectors. All relate to a particular job role.
A full list of Apprenticeships is available here »
In the Public Sector, Apprenticeships are often taken in the following areas (known as frameworks):
- Health and Social Care;
- Advice and Guidance;
- Community Development;
- Community Justice;
- Public Services;
- Teaching Assistants;
- Youth Work;
- Customer Services;
- Business Administration;
- Team Leading;
- Management;
- Payroll; and
- Personnel (Support).
Apprenticeships are designed by employers for employers and are therefore tailored to meet the needs of each specific sector, so that the training is practical and relevant to your organisation.
Where there appears to be no suitable Apprenticeship available for your sector, you can work with your Sector Skills Council (SSC) to develop Apprenticeships in new areas. For more information, contact your SSC.
Apprenticeships are only available to young people and the organisation is not recruiting at the moment, so the programme is not relevant.
Not true. Apprenticeships are now open to all age groups (above the age of 16) including:
- school leavers;
- those who have been working for years and want to improve their skills; and
- those seeking a new challenge and wanting to start a new career.
Apprenticeships are a great way of attracting high-quality new recruits from the age of 16 and bringing younger people into an ageing workforce. They are also a great way to help existing employees of all ages keep pace with the latest technologies and working practices by updating their skills.
Apprenticeships are a big commitment and it will be a long time before the employer sees any benefits. It’s quicker for employees to train for a qualification.
Apprenticeships are much more than a qualification. As well as working towards a vocational qualification, usually at National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 (equivalent to five good GCSEs) or NVQ Level 3 (equivalent to two good A-levels), apprentices also gain transferable skills which are applicable across the public sector, such as:
- working in teams;
- problem solving;
- communication;
- using new technology; and
- studying (in most cases) for a technical certificate, which provides further knowledge and understanding of the job.
Apprentices will need a lot of training ‘off site’.
Apprenticeships are a mixture of on- and off-the-job training, but the majority of learning will take place in the workplace. The rest can be delivered by a local college or by a specialist training provider. Throughout the Apprenticeship, a learning representative from the training provider will support and guide you.
The workforce of the organisation is highly qualified and so Apprenticeships are not relevant.
Rarely true. Employees with a whole range of skills levels are required in most organisations. Undertaking an assessment of the skills levels of the employees within your organisation to help identify skills shortages and skills needs for the future is a good starting point.
There is no funding available for training.
Funding is available for all public sector employers towards the cost of training each apprentice, paid directly to the chosen training provider. Most apprentices will be employed and paid a salary that reflects their skills, experience, age and ability.
There is too much bureaucracy involved.
There is a need to ensure that the training provided is of a high quality, and that the public funding provided is used for training, but this need not be a bureaucratic process. In fact, Apprenticeships often fit in well and enhance the existing learning and development process within public sector organisations.
Last Updated: 08/02/2012