Strategy for Sport - apprenticeships

Apprenticeships 

In the first of my blogs relating to the consultation for the national Strategy for sport I explore what apprenticeships could look like in the sports sector. 

As a training provider from apprenticeships in sport we feel many organisations are not realising the benefit and opportunity of employing apprenticeships as well as utilising the traineeship programme.  

From our experience sports organisations too readily employ graduates to positions without exploring the apprenticeship route not only in the delivery of sport and physical activity but in the administration and marketing of the services they provide. We feel that training providers can provide a service to increase the number of apprenticeships in sport but also see an increase in participation as a result.  

For those that don’t know apprenticeships are paid for by the employer and the training is funded nationally through the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) however that will change with an option through Trailblazer apprenticeship where the employer will draw down the funding and decide the training provider. It is also a myth that current employees cant take advantage of undertaking an apprenticeship. They can however funding for the apprentice changes at 19 where it moves to 50% and 25 where no funding is available.  

Each apprentice must undertake a NVQ which mainly in sport is the Activity Leadership NVQ, secondly they need to take a knowledge programme with depending on the pathway could be a level 2 coaching award for coaching or a level three in sport development through City and guilds. all apprenticeship must reach a certain level in English and Maths as well as undertaking employment rights.  

The biggest challenge in sport we feel is paying the apprentices' wages. We feel actions could include grants made through Sport England to employ staff should have conditions that a % of the employees should be apprenticeships. For example small and medium NGBS and CSP have a small workforce of development officers. Employing one expert development manager and a network of sport development apprenticeships within a geographical area possibly employed through a central body such as ours, local authorities or CSPs would ensure the investment into staff gains a greater utilisation. We also welcome  Ajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills proposal for an Apprenticeship Levy on very big companies.  

However we at Sport Structures feel the real opportunity should be taken to develop networks of apprenticeships in suitable pathways. We do not feel there is one apprenticeship pathway that will be able to cover all. We feel that sport should be compelled to employ a % of government funded staff as apprenticeships and these to include the following frameworks: 

• Coaching 
• Outdoor activity  
• PE and School Sport  
• Fitness and Health 
• Business administration and customer service  
• Social media  

Further consideration needs to be given to the method of delivery of the education side of the apprenticeships and how these move further into the workplace through the development of staff within sporting organisations to tutor, assess and verify educational practice.  We at Sport Structures have seen through  an investment in staff development to enable them to educate, assess their own staff this has seen an improvement in not only how the apprentice is supported but all the staff within the company have seen an improvement in how they are supported trained and developed. 

Traineeships are also not greatly understood in the sector but they are an ideal pre-apprenticeships offer. Traneeships offer a real opportunity to engage people who have not had the best of time in education and need a change to develop a career in sport. We are Sport Structures have found Traineeships as an excellent pre-apprenticeship programme which enables young people to have a taste of what they may do as an apprenticeship and see if its right for them. 

At the other of the apprenticeship spectrum is the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence. this is an excellent tool for developing potential athletes. It is different from other apprenticeships as the apprentices are not employed but part of a performance development programme. I do think the programme could be enhanced by engaging the apprentices in coach education courses, recognising that some governing bodies already do this. Another option should be to engage the apprentices in learnign about sport development as they could be the next sport development workforce.  

We at Sport Structures see the benefit of investing in the potential of young people and apprenticeships are an ideal way of fulfilling and embracing this potential.