Union involvement in apprenticeships and other youth programmes
[ch 2: pages 22-24]In recent years unionlearn has expanded its support for union engagement in apprenticeships and a range of other youth skills initiatives, such as the government’s Traineeships programme (see page 35), including where access to an apprenticeship is either not readily available or not appropriate to the individual’s immediate circumstances. Unionlearn and affiliated unions are focused on ensuring a clear commitment by employers to high quality training and decent terms and conditions of employment in all youth skills programmes.
In 2014, 6,561 apprenticeships were supported by ULF-funded projects, well up on the 5,971 reported in the previous year. This work has ranged across a number of employers, and ULF projects continue to do well in this area, adding to existing apprenticeship programmes through strong union support for apprentices and promoting or campaigning for the recruitment of more (and higher quality) apprenticeships with employers.
In March 2015, unionlearn published a comprehensive report, Helping young people into work — raising the quality and quantity of apprenticeships. It sets out the wide range of union engagement strategies around apprenticeships and Traineeships supported by unionlearn (www.unionlearn.org.uk/publications/helping-young-people-work).
Traineeships
ULF projects have delivered a number of significant outcomes on Traineeships, a training programme for people aged 16 to 24, to help prepare them for an apprenticeship or job. Traineeships are designed for young people who are unemployed, have little work experience, and are qualified below Level 3, but who can be prepared for employment or an apprenticeship within six months. The Traineeship programme was introduced in 2013 and has three core elements.
• a work placement;
• work preparation training; and
• English and maths support if required.
Traineeships are unpaid, but employers can cover travel and expenses and trainees can also receive Jobseeker’s Allowance. The 16-hour rule limiting the amount of training a claimant could do per week without losing benefits was removed in March 2014.
The rules around Traineeships are intended to be flexible and they can last anywhere up to a maximum of six months. They are designed so that providers and employers have the freedom to develop a training and work programme that best suits the needs of the individual trainee.
In 2014, the TUC and CBI marked the first anniversary of the programme by signing a joint statement of support for those wanting to take part in the scheme.
Both the TUC and CBI support Traineeships as a way to get young people, who might otherwise struggle to gain a foothold in the labour market, into an apprenticeship or other job. They provide young unemployed people with an opportunity to undertake work experience placements alongside substantial, structured learning at a training provider, including working towards maths and English qualifications.
However, for Traineeships to genuinely help young people into work they need to be high quality. The joint statement stresses the importance of trainees learning relevant, transferable skills, having a proper induction into the workplace and receiving regular feedback from managers.
The issue of quality will be an ongoing concern for unions as the government announced at the end of December 2015 that lead training providers rated as “requiring improvement” and even “inadequate” by Ofsted will now be able to deliver Traineeships.
Currently, only those rated “outstanding” and “good” providers by Ofsted can deliver the programme. According to the government, the earlier restriction was to “ensure quality from the outset” and the change has brought Traineeships in line with rest of FE and skills provision.
There were 19,400 Traineeship starts in the last academic year and, according to provisional government figures, 7,600 people have started a Traineeship so far in 2015-16. The government is clearly concerned to increase these numbers, but at the expense of quality according to some. “In my view, the government has opened up the traineeship programme because they’re not recruiting enough people on it. They’re desperate for numbers,” said John Hyde, chair of HIT Training, which used to run Traineeships.
TUC deputy general secretary Paul Nowak described Traineeships as “an important first step towards the world of work for young people who are not ready to start an apprenticeship or find a job”. But he emphasised that they must include good training and work experience.
Unionlearn has produced a Traineeships charter to help unions negotiate for high quality Traineeships.
TUC Model Traineeships Charter — guidance for union representatives, is available from the unionlearn website at: https://www.unionlearn.org.uk/sites/default/files/charter%20for%20traineeships.pdf
An example of union involvement in a ULF traineeship project is detailed in the box below.
GMB Traineeships pilot in Nottingham
In January 2016, general union GMB launched a Traineeships pilot in Nottingham in the furniture and furnishings manufacturing sector.
The GMB ULF Project had worked for six months with training provider WEBS Furniture Training to develop a six-week Traineeship programme for employers in the furniture manufacturing sector. The programme includes: work preparation training, including employability and personal development skills, English and Maths and meaningful work experience.
The GMB programme is designed to ensure successful completion and to lead to interview opportunities for apprenticeship positions. Union involvement in the programme’s design and the opportunity to progress to an apprenticeship makes the initiative stand out when compared to other Traineeship programmes. Employers have to commit to a high quality work placement providing:
• pre-agreed content and objectives between the employer, Webs Furniture Training, and the trainee;
• a structured opportunity for the young person, matched to their areas of interest and aspiration and engage in purposeful learning activities;
• the three-week work placement element will develop new skills and behaviours; and
• the trainee should receive coaching and training from an identified mentor in the business, receiving regular constructive feedback.
Once a young person has completed their Traineeship with the employer there will be a requirement to offer an interview for a position with the business. Trainees that don't secure a position are given constructive feedback together with a reference to help them secure an apprenticeship or employment with another employer.
GMB regional officer Chris Needham said: “As a union, we are very proud of any initiative which helps young people into work. This new Traineeship programme is a result of the GMB union, WEBS Furniture Training and employers, working in partnership for the benefit of young people. It will be a very important stepping stone that enables young people to gain skills that allow them to enter into the furniture sector."
Source: Unionlearn case studies