The Complete Guide to Finding a Reliable Apprenticeship Provider

After all, an apprenticeship at a construction company involves a very different skill set from an apprenticeship at a digital media agency. But the differences aren't limited to hard skills and credentials. An apprentice’s personal career goals, work ethic and unique personality traits all have an impact on the success of your apprenticeships.

That's why it's crucial to partner with a provider who refuses to paint all companies, and all apprenticeships, with the same brush.

Finding a reliable apprenticeship provider can feel like mission impossible, especially if you've been burnt before. This guide will help you through the entire process, including what qualifications to look for and questions to ask.

Before we dive into the definition of what an apprenticeship provider actually does, let’s take a moment to look at the latest numbers(opens new window) around apprenticeships.

In 2017/18, a total of 814,800 people participated in an apprenticeship. Today's apprenticeships come from sectors as wide-ranging as Business Administration, Law, Health, Public Services, and Care. It truly is a whole new world.

Today's apprenticeships look far different than the ones most of us grew up with. Maybe that's why, when we polled an audience of talent professionals, finding a reliable apprenticeship provider was reported as their #1 biggest challenge.

An apprenticeship provider helps you recruit, hire and train apprentices for your business based on your unique goals and requirements.

Here are some of the things a great apprenticeship provider will do:

Sounds simple, right?

In a perfect world, it would be. But with 2,491 organisations listed as government approved apprenticeship providers, finding the right one is not going to be easy.

Ask your friends and colleagues if they know a reliable apprenticeship provider. If yes, try to find out more about their experience. What did they like the most? What didn’t work for them? Would they recommend this provider?

Another option is to head to your favorite professional social media platforms and put out an open call for recommendations. Facebook groups and other professional forums can be great places to find out what providers other talent pros are working with and why.

As with finding your next awesome employee, the best way to find the right apprenticeship provider is by referral—but there are times when that's just not an option.

If that's the case for you, start your search by accessing the list of government-approved training providers(opens new window). In order to be included on this list, providers must first complete a pre-qualification process, which includes questions about capacity and capability, adding an extra layer of due diligence without you having to lift a finger.

You can find a great deal of information about a provider simply by doing a little internet browsing. Look for case studies, reviews and testimonials that can give you insight to their track record, previous customers and business values.

Here are a few things to investigate.

Have they been inspected by Ofsted?

If they are on the register, they will be subject to an Ofsted inspection. These inspections are usually conducted within three years of a provider first beginning to deliver education and training programmes.

Ofsted inspectors assess three key attributes:

To check a provider’s Ofsted rating, you can access their inspection report by typing their name into this directory(opens new window).

It’s best to stick with providers that are Grade 2 or above, unless you have a well thought-out reason to not follow this advice, such as you’re looking for a provider in a niche industry.

Have they received a notice of concern?

When a provider fails to meet acceptable quality and financial standards, they are issued with a notice of concern by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
To see if your preferred provider has received a notice, you can check the record of current notices of concern here(opens new window).

What happens if you spot your provider on this list?

If your provider is listed, you can decide whether or not you still want to use them depending on the type of notice—was it for a serious breach like not meeting apprenticeship minimum standards? Or a smaller concern?

If you like the provider and the notice is not serious or relevant to your business, you can still consider working with them. Just make sure you also check for other signs of credibility.

What can you learn from their website?

There’s a heap of information you can glean from a provider's website and social media accounts.

Here are some of the things to keep an eye out for:

If the provider has a blog with up-to-date content and active social media accounts with regular posts about their apprentices, consider that a bonus.

You're looking for a provider who is proactively staying ahead of the trends and is well-informed on everything from the latest information on the levy to what it takes to win in the modern world of HR.

Recruitment

Coaching and support

Expertise

Added value

In a perfect world, every apprenticeship provider would flawlessly execute each of the above responsibilities.

But as many talent professionals have learnt the hard way, the world of apprenticeships is packed with changes and challenges. You need to know exactly what to look for before you put your neck on the line and risk making a critical mistake—one that could limit your ability to get the buy-in you need for future HR investments.

Here’s a handy checklist to help you focus in on the parts of the pitch that really matter.

Customer service

Apprentice success

Employer engagement

Sometimes providers look great on paper, or have an excellent pitch, but ultimately turn out not to be the right fit. Even if your gut tells you they’re not a good fit, it can be hard to listen to it without something more tangible to go on.

Here are a few red flags to look out for.

Red Flag #1. Over-promising and under-delivering

Chances are, you already have a good idea of how long it takes to recruit entry level talent. You likely also have a sense of the timescales needed, based on the skills and knowledge required for each role.

If a provider starts promising pie-in-the-sky numbers about how many apprentices they can recruit, or how fast they can do it, this may be an indication that they're more committed to quantity over quality.

Red Flag #2. Gaps in the recruitment process

If a provider has a poor recruitment process, you could be putting your apprenticeship scheme at risk before it even begins. A mismatch between apprentice and employer inevitably leads to a poor apprentice experience and high turnover rate, both of which can hurt your employer brand.

Red Flag #3. The provider doesn’t understand your business

A lack of experience working with other employers in your industry can lead to various problems such as, failing to match apprentices appropriately, not understanding how much and what kind of support apprentices and employers will need, and a greater mismatch in terms of cultural fit.

Choosing a provider you can trust—one that understands your business and shares your values—is the cornerstone of every successful apprentice programme. Don’t rush the process..

By taking the time to find the right fit, you'll be confident knowing you've given both your apprentices and your business all the necessary tools to succeed.