APP0159

Written evidence submitted by the Livery Companies Skills Council

The Experience and Contribution of the Livery

1. The Livery Companies of the City of London have been involved in providing apprenticeships for hundreds of years and continue to make a very significant contribution to the skills and employability of young people.

2. The Livery Companies Skills Council (LCSC) grew out of an initiative in 1994 by the then Lord Mayor to establish a forum with the Livery for vocational education and training.  In 2010, LCSC jointly with City & Guilds, submitted to Government a paper on the “Contribution that Livery Companies (Guilds) might make to a Programme of Skills for Sustainable Growth.” The response from the then Minister of State (John Hayes MP) was most encouraging and in public announcements he cited Livery Companies as examples of best practice.  The subsequent dialogue with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been positive and helpful.

3. LCSC has developed, and is currently running, an Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot to test an apprenticeship delivery model based on the experience of the Livery, which it is believed has helped to inform policy on the current ‘Trailblazer’ apprenticeship programme.  LCSC is directly involved in the work of the Craft Trailblazer Steering Group.          

4. LCSC is working with officials on ways of overcoming barriers faced by small and micro-businesses in seeking to take on apprentices.  Significant progress has been made in meeting Livery concerns, in such areas as the development of standards and recognition that, in specialist areas of skill, the necessary technical training may be undertaken in the workplace.  Work continues on the details of eligibility and practical issues related to access to apprenticeship funding.

5. The experience of the recent Livery Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot, confirms that small and micro-businesses (typically but not exclusively craft- based businesses) need considerable help to engage with the Government apprenticeship programme. 

6. Whilst work continues on the development of the more recent and indeed new Livery apprenticeships under the Trailblazer programme, Livery Companies are concerned that some of the long-established, and very successful, Livery schemes could fall foul of provisions in the Enterprise Bill. Clarification on that point is being sought from Government.

Support for Small and Micro-Businesses

7. LCSC recognises that small and micro-businesses acting on their own, do not have the capacity to ‘engage with the system’. They often do not have the in-house expertise of dedicated human resources staff and whilst, in principle, they might wish to take on an apprentice, the principals are too busy with the day-to-day operation of the business to be able to spend time on the administration and management of the procedures involved. LCSC considers that the support required is best considered in relation to the steps that small businesses must take on this ‘apprenticeship journey’:

• Understanding the System
• Advice on standards
• Technical assistance with the planning of suitable training programmes
• Recruitment and mentoring of apprentices
• Support for the host employer
• Assessment and Monitoring (quality assurance) 
• Independent End Tests.

8. LCSC is currently evaluating the experience of the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot with particular reference to the new Trailblazer arrangements and intends to feedback and discuss the conclusions with Government.   

Conclusion

9. LCSC asks that the Committee takes note of the experience and contribution of the Livery to apprenticeships and the willingness of the Livery to continue to engage with Government and policy makers on the development of models for the delivery of apprenticeships with particular reference to the needs of highly-skilled small and micro-businesses. 

March 2016