Cornwall Council and their Partners’ Response to the Consultation on Traineeships:
Supporting young people to develop the skills for Apprenticeships and other
sustained Jobs.
Question 1: What are your views on the elements that are essential for an effective
programme to support young people to prepare for Apprenticeships and other jobs?







The development and application of literacy and numeracy skills as applied in the
workplace
Preparation for teamwork and employability
Appropriate and robust IAG, mentoring and aptitude assessment and information
Experience of work via block release and other placements
Flexibility to meet the needs of individuals
Development of essential business skills, and understanding of enterprise
Interview and CV preparation
Question 2: Should a guaranteed interview be part of the core content of a Traineeship?



Yes it must aspire to be just that given that a high percentage of applicants are
rejected on the basis of poor applications and interviews
But there are significant capacity issues for SMEs
Training providers might offer this facility to employers
Question 3: What makes work placements high quality and effective?








An offer of a range of opportunities and activities
Involvement of parents from the outset
Provision of a business mentor for a young person
Good planning to ensure that the experience is differentiated to the needs of
individuals
Measurable outcomes
Looking for an employment outcome from a work experience placement
Localised, with ongoing contact between the employer and the education/training
establishment
A realistic not tokenistic experience
Question 4: Are you aware of other evidence from existing programmes that demonstrates
the effectiveness of these elements?



The Cornwall EBP led work experience scheme is an exemplar. It has a number of
quality standards including most of those listed above.
Ginsters apprenticeship scheme is another exemplar from a significant employer in
Cornwall
The ‘Fifteen in Cornwall’ programme is a traineeship model , providing an intensive
period of support and development, vocational preparation and a period of work
experience prior to starting an apprenticeship in the catering industry

Within the Cornwall College Group there is substantial investment in staff responsible
for the quality of Apprenticeships
Question 5: How could Traineeships best complement what is already available for young
people, simplify our offer and avoid unnecessary duplication?




Ensure colleges and schools are central to local programme delivery
Ensure that the work of lead LA level partnerships is sufficiently fine grained to be
able to identify overlaps and duplication.
Progression opportunities should be made clear to the individual learner at the start
of the programme
There should be clear linkages to JSP/Work Skills Academies etc
Question 6: What are your views on the proposed Traineeships Model? Are the core
components right?. Is the balance between flexibility and specification correct?




Absolutely right to be flexible within a framework of core themes
Functional maths and English and employability should be included
Multiple work placements more desirable than a single experience
Flexible support should include a relevant vocational qualification, digital skills and
communication
Question 7:


The programme should begin at 14+ to enable young people to be apprentice- ready
at 16+
The Young Apprenticeship pathways were hugely effective in giving year 10s a
meaningful and engaging vocational pathway
Question 8:


What are your views on the right age range for the programme?
What are your views on the right duration for the programme?
6 months may not be long enough for some learners. A period of 9-12 months may
be more realistic
Consideration needs to be given to what provision is available locally for those
learners who not achieve a positive outcome
Question 9: What other elements of flexible content would you expect to be added to the
core locally?





Experience in some vocational area will mean that trainees may come to them with a
range of core skills
Business and enterprise skills
aspects of Employment rights and responsibilities
personal learning and thinking skills
a genuine focus on progression
Question 10: What are your views on the most effective routes for delivering Traineeships?
Do the funding systems set out in Paragraph 27 provide sufficient flexibility to achieve this?


There must be an uplift payment to fund the Work Experience element
dispersed rural provision will incur extra travel costs and this should be recognised in
funding formulae
does the flexibility suggested in para 27 mean that there will be additional fun ds
available to support additional element s in the programme?

Question 11. How can we ensure that Traineeships area high quality route which
delivers real progression for young people but minimises bureaucracy for employers and
providers?





Provide a level of funding that allows the programme to be flexible and
personalised
Recognise the costs of Rurality and geographical isolation
Apart from English and maths, focus strongly on Learning and Skills
Development and positive progression
Ensure that young people are provided with information about programmes
through impartial IAG
Have a single provider of paperwork and awards
Question 12: The success of Traineeships will rely on employers offering high quality work
placements. How can we best support and encourage employers to offer these? What
will employers see as the benefits of being involved in Traineeships?




Employers will only see the benefits once results have been delivered
Employers will engage with the programme if it meets their business need to bring
people into their industry, so marketing must be focused and specific
The Traineeship programme must invest in infrastructure if it is to reach SMEs who
do not have the capacity/skills or scale to write bids
No mention of the LEP in the document