Check your business development team can thoroughly explain your apprenticeship standards offer to employers

The changes to apprenticeships are complex and will have different implications for different employers in different contexts. Making sure your business development team has got to grips with your offer is fundamental to successfully growing your volumes. Use our checklist to make sure your team is well prepared… 

Business development teams have an increasingly important role to play in the apprenticeship space. Not just in maintaining existing employer relationships during the transition to standards, but also to drive new business with levy and non-levy clients. 

So how do you know whether your business development teams have got to grips with the fundamentals of standards delivery, ready to speak (and negotiate) with employers? Below is a checklist to run through with your staff to confirm they completely understand apprenticeship standards and are able to articulate your offer.   

Knowledge

1. Does your business development team understand the detail, range and progression pathways of the standards relevant to the employers they will be speaking with?

2. Can they talk confidently about the benefits of the standard versus an existing framework?

3. Do they fully understand the terms ON-PROGRAMME, GATEWAY and END-POINT ASSESSMENT (including grading) and can they explain this clearly to employers?

4. Are they clear on the minimum entry requirements for the standard, including maths and English. Can they also explain the importance of the apprentice being in the right role (whether as a new recruit or existing employee)?

5. Do they understand the levy / non-levy funding system, its implications for the employers and how they will be guided through the process?

6. Do they understand your different delivery models, the associated pricing structure and the parameters for negotiation?

7. Do they understand the different elements of the learning journey and can they clearly articulate how the knowledge, skills and behaviours will be developed and how on and off-the-job learning will be approached?

8. Can they determine any additional requirements a specific employer may have, including the opportunity to use non-mandatory qualifications if desirable?

9. Can they explain how your provider evidences: i) learner progression ii) off-the-job training iii) readiness for the gateway / end-point assessment?

10. Are they clear on the experience and resources the apprentice will need in the workplace to successfully achieve the standard, along with your organisation’s expectations of an apprentice’s line manager/ work-based mentor?

This quick checklist should start to get you thinking about what knowledge your business development team need to maximise income for apprenticeship standards.

That’s not all… an Apprenticeship Conference aimed at trainers/assessors!

Come along to our affordable Apprenticeship Breakthrough Conference in April 2019. Our conference is different. It’s not a talking shop, it’s solution-focused – giving trainers the tools, insights and actions to support you deliver better apprenticeship training.