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AIM Qualification and Assessment Group

How flexi-job apprenticeships will change the creative industry forever

The past 10 years have seen huge changes in the world of apprenticeships. They’ve opened the door to industries and learners all over the country by giving an apprentice a way into the job of their dreams and an employer an employee with no industry bad habits. I’m sure you know someone whose career was given that kickstart through an apprenticeship.

Employers get to hire a fresh-faced worker who they can teach and mould into their own; meanwhile the apprentice is given a way into an industry that might not have been possible before they were born. You know… because anyone born after 2000 is still a baby to us all.

But another shift is heading our way.

You see, all apprenticeships have a study time of at least one year (depending on the subject) but as apprenticeships have grown they have opened up access to whole new industries but this is where issues were noticed; as a TV or film production can last between a few weeks to several months, it has been difficult to put apprentices into placements that will last the length of their studies.

Enter, flexi-job apprenticeships!

Flexi-job apprenticeships mean that apprentices can be assigned to several employers during their apprenticeship; boom, problem solved. The creation of flexi-job apprenticeships will mean that for roles within the creative industry, placements are no longer a restricting factor, an apprentice can be given two or more placements which will span over a year allowing them to complete their studies. But what does that mean for the creative industries? Well…

  1. The next generation

With the creation of flexi-job apprenticeships, a whole new generation of creative professionals will be given the key to join these once locked away industries, a bit like the first time your parents let you go to the park alone, these apprentices can venture off into the industry, searching through all its nooks and crannies to find roles where they want to settle into…

It also gives the old dogs a chance to learn new tricks; these apprentices will come in with bright new ideas and will be learning the latest tools and techniques that veterans of the industry may never have even considered.

  1. A true working experience

Developing portable apprenticeships, puts apprentices in the driving seat and enables them to move between employers and step on and off their apprenticeship in industries or professions where short-term contracts are the norm. Flexi-job apprenticeships will also give these new learners a chance to get a true idea of what it’s like working in the creative world. With jobs changing regularly, loads of new people to meet and an insight into different cultures, they might even work out which companies have the best snack bars!

  1. New opportunities

Flexi-job apprenticeships will also present new opportunities for employers too. For years a company or industry that might have wanted to welcome apprentices with open arms but couldn’t as their projects only run for six months. But with flexi-job apprenticeships, that’s no longer an issue. These apprenticeships will help industries to open up and welcome in the next generation; it gives them access to a new pool of people they just couldn’t reach before.

So what’s the big deal?

Flexi-job apprenticeships are another incredible step forward in the world of apprenticeships and will have so much benefit for both employers and apprentices. With the creation of flexi-job apprenticeships, new doors have been opened for everyone.

However, as always, there’s a catch. For flexi-job apprenticeships to work, they must be assessed correctly. And with this being a new form of apprenticeship, this will mean the industry and assessors must adapt to this tricky task.

As an EPA organisation specialising in the creative industry, we’ve been involved in the heart of discussions around how assessments for flexi-job apprenticeships will work and provide the best experience for both the apprentice and the employers.

So by now you’re probably thinking “can I offer a flexi-apprenticeship?” - maybe. You can find out more about offering training for flexi-job apprenticeships or employing a flexi-job apprentice by contacting our team.
 


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