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News 10 February 2021

The Forward Trust and The Institute of Employability Professionals launch important new apprenticeship for employability practitioners

By Daniel Cook
Do you want to upskill your employability workforce and get the best out of your Apprenticeship Levy? The New Employability Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard (Level 4) might be just what your organisation needs.

On National Apprenticeship Week 2021, The Forward Trust and The Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP) are delighted to announce the new Employability Practitioner Standard (Level 4), a programme of learning that will help upskill professionals working in the employability sector.

The standard, which Forward will start to deliver in March 2021, was developed with support of the IEP and over 50 sector employers and is a high quality, cost-effective way for organisations delivering employability services to ensure their staff get the best and most up-to-date training in the sector.

To help give people a flavour of this development programme, Forward and the IEP, in partnership with the London Progression Collaboration, jointly hosted a webinar on Wednesday 10th February at 2pm. This session also explained how organisations can get the most out of the Apprentice Levy, covering issues such as how organisations can share their Levy if they’re not currently utilising it; and how non-Levy organisations based in London can get funding support.

Speaking at the event, Scott Parkin FIEP, Chief Executive at the IEP said:

“Through this apprenticeship, employability practitioners from a range of settings such as employability programmes, careers advice and guidance services, housing, probation, health and social care have the opportunity to progress their careers in their chosen field.  It not only equips individuals working within the sector with the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need now but also for the future. It will also provide many more benefits for the customers we all serve, improving outcomes for all.

“Employers are recognising the importance of a well-supported, well trained and continuously engaged workforce in their ability to deliver great services, grow their business, realise diversification and achieve other strategic goals.  Likewise, commissioners are recognising the value of workforce development plans and we expect them to recognise this apprenticeship as best practice.”

A Fairer Chance, a Community Interest Company that helps reduce worklessness across the UK’s priority groups, is one of the companies who have signed up to train their workforce through Forward using the Employability Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard in March.

Maggie Walsh MBE, founder of the CIC, explained:

“A Fairer Chance is putting our team members through this programme with Forward because it absolutely fits with the work we do. Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) training has been the fallback for us for a while, but the content of this course is much more suited to upskilling our staff and absolutely what we need”.

To find out more about the Employability Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard (Level 4) and how your organisation could benefit, email Dan Cook at daniel.cook@forwardtrust.org.uk