Reference year 2019
1Scheme history
Modern apprenticeships were introduced in the mid 1990s and are well established. As of January 2019, there are over 80 apprenticeship programmes[1] (“frameworks” in the Scottish policy) available to employers and apprentices. The approved apprenticeship programmes can be found at https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/what-we-do/apprenticeships/…
[1] In Scotland, an individual apprenticeship is referred to as a framework given that the apprenticeship comprises of a number of qualifications which are then described in a Framework Document
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) were originally developed to meet employers' demands for vocationally related qualifications with a job-specific content which could largely be delivered through workplace-based training http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2009/06/08142017/3.
Modern apprenticeships offer people aged 16 and over the opportunity to gain an industry designed and nationally recognised qualification while in paid employment.
2Beneficiaries
Modern Apprenticeships are aimed at those aged 16 and over providing that the apprentice is in employment.
With regards to Modern Apprenticeships, official published statistics for starts in 2018/19[1]:
- 16-19 yrs – 11,720
- 20 – 24 yrs - 6,710
- 25+ yrs – 8,840
[1] https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/45688/modern-apprenti…
For the financial year April 2018 to March 2019[1], there were 27270 starts on the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme (Programme)
This is broken down by level of the programme (framework) as follows:
Level of Programme (Framework) - No of Starts
SCQF level 5 (EQF level 3) - 7,671
SCQF level 6 (EQF level 4) - 10,421
SCQF level 7 (EQF level 5) - 7,216
SCQF level 8 (EQF Level 5) - 723
SCQF level 9 (EQF level 6) - 932
SCQF levels 10 (EQF level 6) - 32
SCQF level 11 (EQF level 7) - 169
Besides publicly funded apprenticeships, there are also privately funded apprentices but it is not possible to know how many there are, given that there is no requirement to register the apprentices in a central database or equivalent. There are also some UK wide employers who offer the English apprenticeship in Scotland and, for them too, there is no way of collecting that data.
In the financial year 2018/19 there were an average of 36,000 learners on the Modern Apprenticeship scheme.
[1] https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/45688/modern-apprenti…
3Qualifications
Depending upon the apprenticeship programme (framework) the qualification will sit between SCQF level 5 (EQF level 3) and SCQF level 12 (EQF level 8).
See https://scqf.org.uk/interactive-framework/
SVQs and CBQs are not exclusively designed for an apprenticeship programme (framework) and are available to learners in full time employment who do not undertake an apprenticeship.
Modern Apprenticeships – the main mandatory qualification in the Modern Apprenticeships is a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ). In some sectors, where the SVQ is not valued by the sector, an alternative competency based qualification (CBQ) can be used. In addition to the SVQ (or CBQ), the MA Programme (Frameworks) at SCQF levels 5 to 7 (EQF levels 3-5) includes Work Place Core Skills (numeracy, literacy, ICT, Working with Others and Problem Solving). For MA Programmes (Frameworks) at SVQF levels 8 (EQF level 5) and above, there is a range of Career Skills units.
The sector may decide that in addition to the SVQ (or CBQ) that additional qualifications are required and these may be either mandatory or voluntary.
In addition to receiving their qualification certificates, Modern apprentices also receive a commemorative certificate recording the completion of the Modern Apprenticeship.
Each apprenticeship (framework) document now sets out what the expected minimum duration to be. For some apprenticeships eg Customer Service, Retail, this is 12 months. For more technical apprenticeships eg Engineering, Construction Craft, this can be 36 to 48 months. However, apprentices can complete the programme in a shorter time.
4Governance
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) administers the Scotland Apprenticeship Schemes (Programmes) on behalf of Scottish Government, including Modern Apprenticeships (MAs).
Sector Bodies – typically these are Sector Skills Councils although other types of organisations are also involved. The Sector Bodies develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) which underpin SVQs and alternative Competence Based Qualifications. When developing or reviewing NOS, the Sector Bodies are required to consult with industry (the consultation must include individual employers but can also include Trade Associations) and ensure that industry is content with the content of the NOS.
Once the NOS have been approved, the Sector Body will develop the structure for the SVQ or the CBQ. Again, it is required to consult with industry regarding the structure of the qualification, and it is also required to include Awarding Bodies in this consultation to ensure that the structure is a meaningful structure and that there are no barriers to an individual undertaking the qualification. Once the structure has been agreed by industry and awarding bodies, it is submitted to SQA Accreditation for approval.
Sector bodies also develop the Modern Apprenticeship framework. In so doing, the sector bodies again consult with the industry with regards to the contents of the framework. In addition, they must also consult with the relevant Trade Unions to get their support for the framework. Once it has both employer support and Trade Union support, the framework is submitted to the Modern Apprenticeship Group for approval.
SQA Accreditation is the national accreditation body in Scotland and has a regulatory role. It approves awarding bodies and accredits qualifications (other than degrees. SVQs must be accredited by SQA Accreditation as are those CBQs which form the mandatory component of a Modern Apprenticeship. Once the SVQ or CBQ structure has been approved, awarding bodies approved by SQA Accreditation can develop the structure into a qualification and submit the qualification for accreditation.
Awarding Bodies design and develop qualifications and approve Further Education Colleges and training providers to deliver and assess the qualifications. Awarding Bodies are responsible for the quality assurance of the qualifications and to ensure that the assessments conducted by the Further Education Colleges and Training Providers are of an appropriate standard.
SQA Accreditation regulates the Awarding Bodies and accredited qualifications by conducting audits of the Awarding Bodies and carrying out monitoring visits to a sample of each Awarding Bodies approved providers.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is the national skills body for Scotland. It delivers a range of services to individuals and employers across the country. These include:
• providing the national Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) service
• managing and developing the Scottish apprenticeship scheme
• working with employers to support and respond to their skills needs
• developing a robust evidence base to articulate the current and future skills demands of Scotland and ensure that skills investment is evidence-based and aligned with skills demand
• managing a range of employability programmes to support individuals to take their first steps into the labour market, or to make successful career changes and progression
The above describes the current situation with regards to the design, development, assessment and certification of apprenticeships. However, there are plans to change some aspects of this within the near future.
Employers are responsible for employing the apprentices, supporting delivery of work based learning and in some cases assessing delivery (if they have in house assessors to undertake this)
Normally the assessment of the qualifications is carried out by the Further Education Colleges or Training Providers that have been approved by the Awarding Bodies offering the qualifications in the apprenticeship framework, However, employers can also be approved by an Awarding Body as a Training Provider, providing that they meet the Awarding Body’s requirements. Most choose not and will work with a Further Education College or Training Provider to deliver and assess the qualification on their behalf. However, employers can still be involved in the assessment process by providing Expert Witnesses or by providing Witness Testimonies to supplement the assessment carried out by the Further Education Colleges or Training Providers.
In addition, where on-the-job training is included within the apprenticeship, then employers will be required to ensure that they have the necessary resources and staff to be able to carry out the on-the-job training.
5Training at the workplace
If the sector determines that there is no off-the-job training then the sector body, working with the sector is required to specify in the apprenticeship programme (framework) document how the underpinning knowledge and theory will be delivered. Off-the-job training can be delivered at the employer’s premises or at a Further Education College or training provider.
Off-the-job training is not compulsory but if it is foreseen by the apprenticeship programme, it is distinct from working and can take place in the employer’s premises or at a Further Education College or training provider.
This is not specified within the apprenticeship (frameworks) in Scotland. This will be discussed and negotiated between the employer and the training provider and will vary across the apprenticeship programmes (frameworks). In most cases, such agreement will be on an individual basis. However, there are some exceptions to this: some of the more traditional apprenticeships are more structured. For example, in Construction Crafts (e.g. bricklaying, carpentry and joinery) the apprentices spend all of their first year in a Further Education College, most of their second year in College with some time at their employer, and all of their third and fourth years with their employer.
The scheme requires that all apprentices complete the qualifications set out in the programme (framework) document. The document also sets out any expectations with regards to off-the-job training.
As stated above, Skills Development Scotland requires that there is an Individual Training Plan in place between the employer, the apprentice and the training provider or Further Education College for publicly funded apprenticeships.
As Modern Apprentices are employees, the employer is required to ensure that it provides the apprentice with the facilities, training and work place opportunities necessary to achieve the selected Framework outcomes specified in the apprentice’s Individual Training Plan.
Skills Development Scotland undertakes on-going quality assurance monitoring of the delivery of the Modern Apprenticeships. This includes ensuring that the colleges, private training providers and employers who deliver Apprenticeship training programmes meet national quality assurance standards for national training programmes. A provider who does meet the quality standards may have their contract to deliver apprenticeships terminated.
6Contract and compensation
For Modern Apprenticeships, the apprentice is an employee.
All Modern Apprentices have an employment contract with their employer. For Modern Apprenticeships funded by Skills Development Scotland there is a requirement for an Individual Training Plan agreed and signed by the employer, the apprentice and the training provider or Further Education College.
If an employer chooses to privately fund an apprenticeship then they do not have to comply with the rules set out for Modern Apprenticeships other than the apprentice must be employed.
All Modern Apprentices are required to be employed. They can be recruited as a Modern Apprentice ie the vacancy being advertised is for a Modern Apprentice in eg Plumbing. Or they could be an existing employee Modern Apprentices are entitled to the same rights as other employees. As such, Modern Apprentices are entitled to rights such as statutory Maternity Leave, as well as an allowance of 20 days holiday per year plus bank holidays. Apprentices over 19, who have been in their apprenticeship for over a year are also entitled minimum wage for their age group.
The contract of employment will be held by the employer with the apprentice receiving a copy.
The Individual Training Plan is held by the training provider and monitored by Skills Development Scotland in the case of publicly funded apprenticeships.
For Modern Apprenticeships, the UK Government sets the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage. It also sets the Apprentice Rate (the minimum wage for apprentices) which is applicable to those under the age of 19 or over 19 and in the first year of their apprenticeship[1].
National Minimum wage (NMW) regulations are a reserved matter for the UK Government, therefore the Scottish Government has no enforcement remit but remains committed to promoting fair work throughout Scotland and fully support payment of the real Living Wage and the real benefits to our economy of treating people who work more fairly.
Scotland Modern Apprenticeship rules state that training providers must advise both the participant and the employer of the obligations they are signing up to including information regarding the apprentice national minimum wage.
Many employers recognise the value of the apprentice to their business and choose to pay higher wages than the National Minimum Wage.
7Financing and incentives
Employers pay the apprentices their wage.
For Modern Apprenticeships, Skills Development Scotland administers the public funding contribution towards the training costs. The contribution is paid directly to the organisation which will provide the training of the apprentice, this would normally be a college or an independent training provider. The contribution rate is structured by programme (framework), age and level and is prioritised to support outcomes within the Scottish Government’s skills and economic strategies.
To be able to access public funding for any Modern Apprenticeship training, all candidates regardless of age would need to be employed by a company. Employers are responsible for paying wages and any equipment required.
Scottish Government policy is to provide a contribution towards modern apprenticeship training based on a series of variables, with employers expected to make a contribution to additional costs of training.
For those aged between 16 and 24, the contribution rates vary from £1700 (Business Administration) to £10,200 (Engineering) [1]
For those aged 25 and over, the contribution rate varies from £400 (Rail Engineering) to £8000 (Engineering)[2].
Travel and Subsistence:
There is some additional funding to support travel and subsistence for Modern Apprentices who are required to attend structured and formal off-the-job training, as set out within the requirements of the Modern Apprenticeship programme (framework). The additional funding supports travel to training and overnight accommodation where appropriate. Only Apprentices resident in the following local authority areas are eligible: Argyll & Bute; Highland; Moray; Orkney; Shetland; Western Isles; and Isle of Arran.
Rural Supplement:
There is a supplementary payment of between £250 - £1000 (dependent on the duration and size of the apprenticeship) for training providers to recognise the additional costs for training provision for Modern Apprentices in rural communities. This additional support for apprenticeships based in Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Moray, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Shetland, the Western Isles, Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders and the Isle of Arran. For the rest of Scotland, the rural uplift is based on whether the post code of the employer’s premises is classed as 'Remote Rural' or 'Remote Small Towns' by the Scottish Government's Urban/Rural Classification.
[1] https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/44591/ma-contribution…
[2]https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/44592/ma-contribution…
Modern Apprenticeships:
Adopt an Apprentice - If an employer takes on an apprentice who's been made redundant, - both if the apprentice is no longer in work because there is no more work available or because the employer goes out of business and all employees including the apprentices are made redundant - there's a financial incentive. If the business is in the oil and gas industry, the incentive is £5,000 and for all other industries it’s £2,000.
Scotland’s Employer Recruitment Incentive – Employers could get up to £4,000 if they recruit as an apprentice a young person who has faced significant barriers to employment.
See Annex A of https://www.ourskillsforce.co.uk/media/2416/seri-operating-rules.pdf
The contract of employment should specify the number of working hours per week and time spent on off-the-job training is part of the working week[1]
[1] https://help.apprenticeships.scot/hc/en-gb/categories/360000628813-Indi…
Reference Year 2016
1Target group
The age group covered by Modern apprenticeships is 16 plus. Modern apprentices must have reached the Scottish statutory minimum school leaving age. MAs were originally for young adults (aged 16-24), but the upper age limit has now been removed. Funding has been prioritised, however, for 16-17 year olds under a UK-wide government training guarantee, and the funding available to those 25 and over is currently still very limited. All Modern Apprentices are expected to have employed status.
2Overview of the scheme
Modern Apprenticeships are not on the ISCED 2011 Mapping.
As with the Apprenticeships described above Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland are considered a main route in the VET system.
Modern apprenticeships were developed in the 1990s and were mainly available in traditional industries such as construction or plumbing. Since then the number, types and levels of modern apprenticeships have increased. In 2012/13, there were 70 types of modern apprenticeships available across a range of occupations including accounting, plumbing, hospitality and engineering.[1]
Modern Apprenticeships (MAS) were originally developed to meet employers' demands for vocationally related qualifications with a job-specific content which could largely be delivered through workplace-based training.[1]
The aim of the MA programme is to increase the pool of people trained to intermediate level skills. MAs were originally for young adults (aged 16-24). The content of the apprenticeship frameworks that govern the content of the apprenticeships are developed by the relevant sector skills council.
Funding policy in Scotland is based on making a market-tested contribution towards the costs of achieving an MA award with the balance of funding being provided by the employer.
Funding contributions made available by SDS vary between £1,500 to £9,000 depending on the level and type of MA award being undertaken and the age of the apprentice. [1]
Sectoral bodies help to design the frameworks but it is the government and employers who finance.
Employers can get up to £4,000 when your company commits to a new job or new Modern Apprentice (MA).
The funding is a contribution towards the additional costs of recruiting a young person during their first 52 weeks of sustainable employment.
If employers pay them the living wage there will be an additional payment of £500[1].
For employers willing to take on a redundant Modern Apprentice a one-off financial incentive of £2,000 is available.
Employers from the oil and gas industry will receive a one-off financial incentive payment of £5,000.
New legislation in the UK will be introduced in 2016 and the levy itself will be payable from April 2017 onwards.
The levy will apply to all UK employers in both the private and public sectors with annual salary bills of more than £3 million. Employers with an annual salary bill smaller than this will not pay the levy.
The levy will be charged at a rate of 0.5% of an employer’s pay bill. Levy payments will be collected monthly by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) through Pay as You Earn (PAYE), payable alongside tax and National Insurance.
The UK Government estimates that 2% of employers will be eligible to pay the levy, raising up to £3 billion per annum by 2019-20. Of this, it estimates that £2.5billion will be spent in England, with the remaining £500 m allocated to devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is engaging with Scottish Government; employers and partners ahead of the levy’s introduction.
25,247 Modern Apprentices (MAs) started training in 2014/15, exceeding the Scottish Government’s annual target[1].
Modern Apprenticeships are not on the ISCED 2011 Mapping.
Information on the number of apprentices enrolled in VET is not available, however there is information on the total number in FE colleges.
The overall headcount in Scottish colleges stood at 226,919 in 2014/15 – a reduction of more than 10,000 compared to the previous year, according to statistics published by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC)[1].
Modern Apprenticeships are not on the ISCED 2011 Mapping and so this data is not readily available.
MAs are built around an appropriate Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) level 3 qualification or above. The other elements to a MA are a mixture of sector relevant SVQs/NVQs and core skills (communication, information technology, problem solving, numeracy and working with others) and, in some cases, other sector-specific qualifications[1].
There are four levels of modern apprenticeships (2, 3, 4 and 5) which represent the level of SVQ that an apprentice can achieve and the job that an individual does. Originally, modern apprenticeships were mainly available at SVQ level 3. SVQ level 2 apprenticeships were introduced in 2009/10 in response to employer demand and to replace the Skillseekers training programme. Level 4 and level 5 apprenticeships were later introduced to give employers the opportunity to increase the skills of their workforce to a more advanced level. A level 5 apprenticeship is more likely to be undertaken by someone in a more senior job role. [1]
3Qualifications
As in the rest of the UK the qualifications gained can also be achieved through other routes outside of apprenticeship schemes.
These qualifications are recognised by higher education.
4Duration
There are no set timescales for completing an apprenticeship and they typically take from around six months to three years to complete. [1]
Not stated
5Alternation of work-based (in-company) training and school-based training
There is no obligation for in-company training but only to provide access to a training provider.
The content varies according to the apprenticeship job level and job role.
6Formal relationship with the employer
The ASCLA does not apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland; it is therefore more difficult to terminate an apprenticeship prematurely in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and early termination of a contract of apprenticeship may result in enhanced compensation.
The ASCLA does not apply to Scotland.
All Modern Apprentices are expected to have employed status. Modern Apprentices should be entitled to the same rights as other employees. As such, MAs are entitled to rights such as statutory Maternity Leave, as well as an allowance of 20 days holiday per year plus bank holidays. Apprentices over 19, who have been in their apprenticeship for over a year are also entitled minimum wage for their age group.[1]
n/a
All Modern Apprentices are expected to have employed status.
7Remuneration
Employers can set your wages so long as they pay at or above the National Minimum Wage (NMW). There are different levels for the NMW, which depend on an employees age. The current level of National Minimum Wage is £3.30 per hour for apprentices aged under 19, or if an apprentice is 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates
Paid per hour working with employer.
See Q36 above. ATA do not exist in Scotland.
See in Q37 above.
The obligation of the employer is to give access to the training provided by the training provider.
8Responsibility of employers
Training providers are under contract to the Enterprise Networks to agree provision of appropriate training throughout the apprenticeship, to assess competences, to develop individual learning plans with the employee and employer, and to administer the MA through contact with the Local Enterprise Company and by keeping the central MA management database updated.
There are no sanctions but early termination of a contract of apprenticeship may result in enhanced compensation.
Frameworks are designed by the sector skills body relevant to the industry sector, and are approved (and re-approved at least every 2-3 years) by the Modern Apprenticeship Implementation Group (MAIG). The MAIG is made up of representatives of Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise Network, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Local Enterprise Companies, Careers Scotland, Scottish Qualifications Authority Accreditation Unit, Sector Skills Alliance Scotland, Scottish Further Education Training Unit and the Scottish Training Federation.[1]
As well as the apprentices, sector skills bodies and MAIG, other main stakeholders in the development and delivery of MAs are:
- Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise provide funding for training to Local Enterprise Companies;
- Local Enterprise Companies are responsible for administering the programme and distributing funding to training providers;
- Employers are expected to ensure that the training fits with the apprentice's job, to ensure that on-the-job training is provided and to support the apprentice;
- Careers Scotland has responsibility for raising awareness amongst individuals and school guidance teachers of MAs as an employment and training option;
- Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is responsible for certification and for quality assurance in relation to awards;
- Scottish Quality Management System (SQMS) is responsible for quality assurance of training providers.