Apprenticeships in sport what don’t you know?

This time of year, is the mad time for apprenticeships with signing up and new programmes launching and new apprentices starting out on a new career in work. However, I relate that deep "philosopher" Donald Rumsfeld to guide people through apprenticeships and the explosion in interest.

?      As we know - There are known knowns. 

There are things we know we know. 

We also know - There are known unknowns. 

That is to say - We know there are some things we do not know 

But there are also unknown unknowns, 

The ones we don't know - We don't know.

?      D.H. Rumsfeld – USA - secretary of defense 2001 to 2006

Hopefully what I will do in this short article is not spend time on known knowns but help you with the known unknowns and the unknown unknown’s! Still with the it?

So, what does everyone know about apprentices?

They are a work based training programme that has the potential for being funded through government. However, anyone can do an apprenticeship right up to level 7. It then comes down to who pays for it. It is also a myth that it must be new staff. It can just well be existing staff wanting or needing to be up-skilled. The training is funded not the employment costs, except a small amount if the apprentice is 16-18.

“I can’t do an apprenticeship if I have a degree” – wrong! Generally, you can as long as it’s not in your area where you took your degree. So, if for example you have done a geography degree you could access an apprenticeship for coaching in schools. However, if you have a degree in PE and coaching you have no chance of an apprenticeship in that area. However check very carefully that the learner is eligible.

“The new levy can pay for my apprenticeship” yes but the company you work for could if the salary costs are more than ￡3 million per year. If not, you can’t use the levy money which is 0.5% of the salary cost.

“When we run out of levy money we can’t have any more apprentices” – wrong – you can then access apprenticeships the same as anyone else in smaller businesses.

“Apprentices cost too much to do”. They have no cost if the apprentice is 16-18 and only 10% of the full learning cost if 19+. This 10% must be lodged with the main training provider. A number of organisations are using their training budget as that 10% which will then draw down the rest through a training provider.

“How do I know the training provider is suitable?” every training provider must have been approved on the Register of apprenticeship training providers or RoATP. Some will have SFA funds for levy organisations and some for non-levy. Always worth shopping around and checking out history with other employees.

“What is my commitment to the apprentice?” You must employ them for the period identified related to the qualification and over 30 hours a week on average across he period. You can pay them as much as you like but it must be on or above the apprenticeship pay rate.

“What are standards and frameworks?” previously frameworks were used to provide the structured training for the apprenticeships. However, government found, and we see it in sport that apprentices are made to fit the framework rather than have a framework suitable for the purpose. For examples the PESS level 3 diploma completely fits the needs of the learners of coaching in schools where as a coach doing a fitness framework is inappropriate. We have seen training providers force round pegs into square holes so they can deliver to a cohort rather than individualise.  The new standards must fit the needs of the learner and although they draw down more money this enables the training provider to provide a more bespoke support to the learners

“Where is sport with moving to standards?” so far CIMSPA who are leading this are working through the sector to establish the career path and the jobs with that path and then the standards related to the sectors. They are near on finishing community coaching, progressing sport development and management and leadership. This will provide the sector with clear pathways and enable to sector to be recognised as have a career pathway.

I hope that gives you an overview of the sport sector and apprentices and we are more than happy to speak to people to explain more. We have worked hard to be able to offer employers the option of both levy and non-levy provision and are keen to develop further partnerships. 

Sport Structures are have achieved status of both the Register of Training providers (ROTO) and the Register of Apprenticeship training providers (RoTAP)