Barriers to Apprenticeships
Estyn Thematic Review
Vanessa Morgan
Additional Inspector
Who are Estyn?
•
Estyn is the office of Her Majesty's Inspectorate
for Education and Training in Wales. We are
independent of, but funded by, the National
Assembly for Wales.
•
The purpose of Estyn is to inspect quality and
standards in education and training in Wales
Thematic Report –
Barriers to Apprenticeships
•
Two year review – barriers arising from any
difficulties experienced by learners from black and
minority ethnic groups and those with disabilities
when entering apprenticeship programmes.
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First report published November 2014
Year 1 Findings
• Lack of awareness of apprenticeships by parents,
employers and learners themselves
• Few apprenticeship role models from the BME
communities or from disabled groups
• Difficulties in finding suitable work placements,
especially where employers believe there will be a
need to provide additional support for learners
• Real or perceived discrimination
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Language difficulties for students for whom
English is an additional language and cultural
difficulties
Available support for learners not being accessed
or fully utilised
Parental anxiety that the young people may not be
able to cope
Insufficient co-ordination between schools,
employers, WBL providers and local community
organisations to provide apprenticeships
Year 2
•
Build upon the work undertaken in Year 1
•
Identify examples of good practice of diversity in
apprenticeships
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Good practice examples of providers, employers
and communities working together to achieve
diversity in apprenticeships
Perceived Barriers
Learning Disability Wales, July 2014 – “What works in Wales”
Real Conversation, Llandudo, March 2015
Action on Hearing Loss Cymru, 2015
• Job related (location, transport, lack of appropriateness, competition)
• Employer related (lack of understanding/poor perception, inaccessible
recruitment processes, lack of understanding of financial support
available)
• Employee related (low level of self-belief/lack of aspiration, low skills
levels, lack of knowledge of support available, lack of parent/carers
aspirations, poor previous experience)
• Support related (complicated benefits system, inaccessible JobCentre
services)
What’s being done in Wales to break
down these perceived barriers?
Some good practice examples
Transitions and Employment Service - RNIB
• Supports blind and partially sighted people
across Wales to develop employability skills
and apply for work
• Organise work placements
• Ensure organisations and employers receive
appropriate training and are equipped to work
with blind an partially sighted people
Learner A
• Third and final year of psychology degree at
Swansea University
• Met with transitions officer and expressed interest
in working with police forensic department
• One-week placement in scientific investigation
team based at Neath police station
• Risk assessment by transitions officer – Guide
Dogs for the Blind helped with mobility routes
Learner A’s week
• Health and Safety induction
• Tour of the department and intro to team
• Overview of high profile cases and gathering of
evidence for these cases
• Work Shadowing:
 Photographs and DNA swabs at scenes of
crime
 Gathering of evidence
 Completion of paperwork
Cardiff and Vale
University Health Board (UHB)
• Partnership with private training provider and JobCentre Plus
• Apprentice-style programme to provide pathways for
disadvantaged groups
• 6-month programme to develop the skills and knowledge to
become a Health Care Support Worker
 Complete the UHB’s corporate and clinical induction
programme
 Achievement of Level 2 Health and Social Care Diploma
knowledge and competence units
• Completion gives employment history and references
• Which can lead to a job or an apprenticeship