Here is the text of the supporting letter for increased funding levels for apprentices in Landbased Engineering written by David Kirschner

A Perfect Storm

Successful apprenticeship training outcomes rely on achieving the employer identified knowledge, skills and behaviours required to achieve occupational competency in any chosen career.  

Therefore, logically to effectively deliver apprenticeship training the provider is required to employ lecturers having both the ability to teach and the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to meet the occupational competency objectives of the apprenticeship.

There is currently a shortage of appropriately experienced lecturers available to deliver sector specific apprenticeships. However, this is the result of the problem, not the root cause. The root cause being the lack of funding awarded to apprenticeship standards to enable training providers to employ suitably qualified lecturers and sustain effective, commercially viable provision.

The lack of funding drives a chain of events that all conspire to undermine the best efforts of the many employer working groups who strive to produce meaningful apprenticeship standards.

Understanding funding related issues:

  • The funding calculations allow on-costs of 18.05% to cover N I and pension contributions. The FE sector experience on-costs in excess of this in pension contributions alone. The real costs for FE providers being nearer 40%
  • The hourly pay rate used in funding calculations is based on backward looking data supported by job adverts showing salary ranges where the lowest common denominator is used. Salary enhancement payments made by training providers are ignored even though legitimate delivery costs. These payments are made to stem the flow of exiting lecturers.
  • The funding calculation makes no provision for inflation between the minimum review period of 3 years.
  • Viability of delivery is essential to encourage succession planning and sustainable delivery. What is evident now is that providers are giving careful consideration to the viability of continued provision of poorly funded apprenticeship standards.
  • Industry salaries and remuneration packages are higher than lecturers pay. E.g. a third-year land-based engineering apprentice has the potential to earn more than the lecturer stood in front of them. 
  • The shortage of lecturers compounds the problem as additional workload and administration is passed onto fewer people increasing job dissatisfaction and stress leading to further staff losses.
  • The increased workload placed on lecturing staff reduces the time available for CPD training, essential for lecturers to stay abreast with the advancing technology seen every day by the apprentices they teach.
  • To cover staff shortages training providers, have little option but to use agency staff, incurring hourly costs 86% above the reimbursement rate paid in the funding calculations.
  • The shortage of lecturers and funding viability has increased cohort sizes. Hopefully a short-term solution, it adversely effects the quality of the learning experience and the safety supervision required in practical learning sessions.
  • The truth is that restricted funding in many cases is impacting on the quality of the ‘off the job’ training experience and the best practice used to deliver.

Employers have absolutely fulfilled what has been requested of them, it is now time for government to step up to the plate.”