Apprenticeship Quality
Quality of Apprenticeship Delivery Models
A number of policy changes within the skills system have significantly changed the operating environment for the delivery of Apprenticeships. Important changes include:
- The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act and the requirement for apprentices to be employed
- The Specification for Apprenticeship Standards in England including minimum levels of guided learning hours for on- and off-the-job training
- Minimum wage for apprentices
- Minimum working hours for apprentices
- The single adult skills budget and further freedoms and flexibilities
The focus of many of these changes is to increase the quality and relevance of Apprenticeships, promoting the features of a world class Apprenticeship system, and in particular how we expect an Apprenticeship to be delivered.
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has “end to end” responsibility that all Apprenticeships meet the requirements of legislation, employers, individuals, parents and guardians. We are developing our quality assurance role working with the Agency and others. We are determined to see that the recent rapid expansion of Apprenticeships is not achieved at the expense of quality.
NAS and the Agency is concerned to ensure that delivery models that have developed in response to the mechanics of changes, fully support the fundamental expectations of learners and employers in realising the full benefits of undertaking an Apprenticeship.
NAS originally developed a statement that set out our expectations on delivery models. This was designed to clarify the position for providers and others involved with Apprenticeships. The 2011/12 Apprenticeship Funding Requirements support these expectations and NAS has refined the delivery statement to reflect this.
NAS will continue to work with external partners including AELP, AoC and Ofsted to develop this statement as part of our joint ambition to support the delivery of high quality Apprenticeships. We will also look to issue updates and examples on how this statement is applied in practice.
View and download the statement (PDF 30kb) »
Last Updated: 15/05/2012