This section has resources and guidance around organisational strategy including tools for costing apprenticeships, how to use apprenticeships and how others have done it.
If your organisation doesn’t already have an apprenticeship service account, you will need to create one. Use our handy guide to learn how.
To maximise the effectiveness and impact of apprenticeships, collaboration across systems to develop local apprenticeship strategies is essential. System level apprenticeship strategies should ensure that employers are able to maximise benefits and focus on workforce shortfalls and the deployment of roles that enhance patient outcomes.
Our principles for developing an apprenticeship strategy provide the key points on which to build a successful apprenticeship strategy; that with system-level oversight and planning will enable organisations to grow and recruit their own staff to meet their workforce needs.
Follow these steps to get started:
Step 1 – What is your workforce development need? Identify the skills gaps of your workforce and vacancies. Estimate how much salary funding you have to spend on apprenticeship roles. Our costing / planning tools may help.
Step 2 – Access funding either via the Levy (if you have a wage bill over £3million), reserve government co-investment or find a levy transfer.
Step 3 – Select an apprenticeship standard and choose apprenticeship training and assessments. Find a training provider who will offer the right apprenticeship and assess your apprentice during their training.
Step 4 – Advertise a vacancy: you can work with your training provider to help with advertising and shortlisting. You may identify an existing employee or recruit a new apprentice.
Step 5 – Provide ongoing support for the apprentice. Help them to adjust to the workplace by planning workload and providing the necessary opportunities to complete practical tasks in line with training goals.
The HASO costing calculator lets you quickly calculate the estimated cost to the organisation of having an apprentice. The tool is an easy to use ready reckoner that quickly and effectively allows you to work through the key financial implications. It is useful for all staff involved in planning and supporting apprenticeship implementation across health organisations in the statutory, independent or private sector. The costing calculator gives you an estimate of both the total salary costs and levy spend.
NHS England (Health Education England) Apprenticeship Planning Tool
The tools shows the overall salary costs (including on costs) and the cost of the off-the-job or supernumerary time. It provides a more detailed view of the pay costs, the tool gives you the option to calculate your costs based on either the number of full time apprentices you would like to train or the budget you have available. You will be able to compare the costs depending on a number of variables including:
Click here to access this tool.
Access our printable on How to Fund the Salary of Apprentices
You may need to develop a business case or investment proposal to support your plans.
The below documents are guides showing points to consider when planning to develop new apprenticeship pathways and how to create your own business case.
Handy guides on apprenticeships can be found below.
Sometimes it helps to look at examples of strategy and implementation documents developed by other organisations. You can use the resources below as a basis for developing your own local resources.
Resources:
We have a number of tools and guide to show how apprentices may progress from one occupation to another.
Our pathways tool lets you create or view different apprenticeship career routes. Use the boxes to either be shown an example pathway or to discover your own.
Our Apprenticeship Standards Factsheets show the variety of apprenticeships available in occupations such as Nursing, Ambulance Services, Allied Health Professions, Radiography and Healthcare Science.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s (IfATE) Occupational Maps show the relationships that exist between education, qualifications, apprenticeships and occupations in England.
