A suite of high quality, innovative professional development resources for colleges, training providers and local authority adult learning services involved in delivering traineeships is being launched today at a dissemination conference in Birmingham.
The resources have been produced by 14 provider-led projects funded through the Traineeship Staff Support Project (TSSP). The project was commissioned and funded by The Education and Training Foundation and managed by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and its partners.
The resources include tool kits, e-books, and online platforms and have all been designed to support staff involved in traineeship delivery as well as the wider education and training workforce. They are available on the TSSP website.
The resources will support provider staff with:
- improving the quality of teaching with a focus on English and maths, employability and basic occupational skills;
- engaging with employers, secure and manage work placements, work with SMEs and develop placements in new sectors;
- developing robust initial assessment processes to ensure appropriate learner enrolment;
- improving the quality of provision for learners from protected, vulnerable and excluded groups and communities and those who have protected characteristics.
Jenny Williams, Director of Vocational Education and Training at The Education and Training Foundation, said: “Traineeships can make all the difference in getting young people ready for apprenticeships and work. The Foundation is committed to supporting teachers and trainers to deliver consistently excellent vocational teaching and learning. The resources and materials produced by providers as part of the Traineeship Staff Support Programme offer examples of good professional development practice which we hope other traineeship providers will benefit from, and will also ensure that Traineeships are high quality programmes for both learners and employers.”
Paul Warner, AELP’s Director of Employment and Skills adds: “With 10,500 young people now on Traineeships, the Skills Minister is right to say that the programme is off to a strong start. At the AELP Autumn Conference, we heard both employers and providers talk about how hard it can be to recruit eligible young people, help them improve their functional skills in English and maths and persuade employers willing to offer credible work experience opportunities. We’re confident that the high quality tools we are launching today will really help tackle these challenges and expand the learner numbers on Traineeships.”
