Chris Jones, CEO and Director General of City & Guilds, discusses the Richard Review and how some of its recommendations around apprenticeship assessment need careful consideration:
I have been waiting with interest for the publication of the Richard Review: an independent review of apprenticeships for the Government, led by Doug Richard. Reading the report, I was pleased to find many recommendations in there which I strongly support and hope will be given due attention by the Government. These include calls for high quality apprenticeships, parity of esteem with university degrees, the incorporation of maths and English skills into apprenticeships, and the assertion that apprenticeships should be seen as a job with training, and therefore that not all on the job training counts as an apprenticeship.
The review also made some interesting points around the assessment of apprenticeships, highlighting the need for a rigorous set of standards which tests the breadth of skills learnt and whether they can be effectively applied in a real world context. The stress on ‘competence’ in tandem with knowledge is exactly what is required if apprentices are to meet employer requirements and add value to their business.
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