FE Commissioner tasks colleges with meeting apprenticeship targets

At this year’s AoC Annual Conference, FE Commissioner, Shelagh Legrave addressed delegates to set out apprenticeship and skills bootcamp targets for colleges. Legrave did so in light of findings showing that FE colleges are responsible for less than a fifth of UK-wide apprenticeship starts. During her keynote speech, Legrave stated that she wants to support colleges to grow their share of the apprenticeships market by “at least 10 per cent.”

FE colleges already do a fantastic job of catering to many learners looking to upskill,  or increase their chances at securing jobs through gaining new qualifications. By bolstering their apprenticeship provision, colleges will be able to support even more people around the UK who may need, or prefer to, learn on the job.

In order for colleges to increase their market share, they’ll need to be offering a flexible apprenticeship programme. This is because employers are demanding training that fits around work commitments, with hybrid models proving particularly popular. 

With £600 million worth of funding earmarked for this area, there is an opportunity for colleges to invest in their apprenticeship programmes to meet employer demand and Legrave’s target for the sector. 

At Mindful Education we work closely with a large number of colleges to deliver flexible apprenticeships for employers based throughout the UK. Suzie Drew, Business Development Manager at Strode College said of our apprenticeships, “employers like the Online and On Campus blended approach to teaching as it gives them a lot more flexibility to their staff.”

“Working with college Employer Engagement teams, we have seen the importance of promoting flexible apprenticeship options to both employers and apprentices. There is certainly room for growth in colleges’ share of the apprenticeship market and I look forward to working with our partners to reach this target.” – Katherine McKenna, Head of Employment Engagement 

If you would like to find out more about our flexible, award-winning apprenticeship programmes, please visit our Colleges page.