The news that the Electronics Systems Community (ESCO) has obtained permission from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to develop a new apprenticeship standard is certainly to be welcomed.
Although an undeniably small step, it is, as ESCO chairman Warren East said: "The first in a planned programme which will see a continuous ladder of apprenticeship provision being developed for the industry, ranging from Craft level to Masters' level apprenticeships."
ESCO had also sought to expand an existing Level 2 Electronics Production Technical Operator Apprenticeship, but that application failed. The process is continuing to evolve which makes it difficult to apply – basing applications on past approvals offers no guarantee of success. As a result, that scheme will be re-submitted in June, but ESCO remains confident that it will have a 'continuum' of apprenticeship provision in place, running from Level 2 to Level 6 by this time next year.
According to Dr Graeme Philp, chief executive of Gambica and an ESCO council member:"The Trailblazer scheme continues to evolve and the application process was a steep learning curve, but to its credit, BIS was a great supporter."
The next steps for ESCO are: to design assessment and grading programmes; to consider the requirements for professional registration; to work with universities and training providers to ensure that it can be delivered; and assess the likely cost of delivery. No small task.
While details of Government funding for the scheme remain unclear, ESCO has been given a tough target to hit – 150 apprenticeships this year. Challenging, considering that many companies will have already set their budgets for 2015-16.
But that isn't the biggest challenge facing this scheme. The biggest would appear to be industry inertia and scepticism when it comes to Government backed schemes, such as Trailblazer. Recent work carried out by Gambica and the IET found that the awareness of Government schemes was incredibly poor.
It would be a real shame if all the hard work put in by ESCO to develop a comprehensive apprenticeship scheme that looks to address the training and skills issues that have been raised by industry failed for want of support from the very companies who wanted it in the first place.
