Employer Requirements
At Skills Edge we find the most successful apprenticeships are those in which the employer is aligned with the training provider in support of the apprentice.
This page outlines the requirements and commitment of the employer and their respective line managers and/or mentors.
Employer Apprenticeship Key Facts
It is important that all managers and mentors involved in the apprenticeship programme are aware of their commitment to the apprenticeship.
Summarised in our Key Facts document, these form part of our Service Level Agreement that the business will sign and agree to, before enrolling any apprentices.
Line Manager and Mentor Responsibilities
Line managers and mentors play an important part in the success of an apprenticeship. It is key that they understand their requirements along with the support, training and exposure they must provide to ensure the success of their apprentice.
Line managers and mentors should be advocates for the apprenticeship and each of the outcomes within this. They will ensure that apprentices understand all outcomes hold the same importance, which will result in the apprentices investment in learning these outcomes and lead to a successful programme.
How can I best support an apprentice:
Schedule
Allow the apprentice the uninterrupted time to study, revise for exams and prepare for assessments. We recommend this to be half a day each week. This ensures the apprentice has the relevant time required to make progress and stay on track.
Shadowing
Allow the apprentice time to shadow other departments/teams/colleagues, even if these are not part of the apprentice’s immediate job role. The wider exposure will expand their knowledge and further enrich their experience.
Attendance
Attendance is of the utmost importance to ensure progress of an apprentice. Line managers should be ensuring their apprentices are attending their apprenticeship workshops and sessions.
Exposure
Provide the apprentice exposure to as many working practices as possible, with training and support provided to complete these tasks. Without relevant exposure, the apprentice will not progress and is unlikely to complete their programme.
Challenge
With an in depth understanding of your apprentice, including their strengths and areas for improvement, line managers and mentors can adopt a challenge model. This allows the apprentice to be challenged by their learning and development, allowing them to grow and achieve their potential.
Support
It is vitally important as a line manager and/or mentor that you ensure the apprentice is fully supported within the business. We advise businesses to complete regular one to one’s and to have open discussions with the apprentice. An apprentice who feels supported within their role, wellbeing and mental health is more open to discuss challenges, which allows for support and intervention, resulting in a higher chance of success.
Skills Edge can support line managers and mentors with funded Team Leading and Management apprenticeships as well as a range of short courses.
These are designed to develop the key knowledge and skills required to be an effective leader.
Supporting an Apprentice’s Progress
Progress and Planning Meetings
Every 12 weeks line managers and/or mentors will be required to attend a Progress and Planning Meeting with the Apprentice and their Assessor. It is essential that workplace mentors attend these meetings, as it allows us to collectively:
Aptem
Aptem is a learner e-portfolio and apprenticeship management platform. We have chosen to partner with Aptem because it is an established award-winning market leader that provides an easy to use and enhanced user experience for all stakeholders including employers.
Aptem is a fantastic tool for line managers and/or mentors to stay engaged with apprentices’ progress. It will provide a full picture on the current tasks an apprentice is working on, their off the job training progress and whether they are on track.
It is highly recommended that line managers and/or mentors regularly log in to Aptem to check their apprentices progress, this enables line managers and/or mentors to support and challenge apprentices to ensure their success. Aptem will also be used to sign off important documents that relate to the apprenticeship, such as reviews.
Introducing Aptem
What is required from a line manager/mentor supporting an apprentice?
As a line manager/mentor you play an important part during every stage of the apprenticeship programme. The below video showcases your responsibilities through each stage: