Here we are in the middle of National Apprenticeship Week 2018 and it’s so encouraging to see how the profile of Apprenticeships is being raised across the UK. This is actually the 11th NAW but the first since the UK Government’s legislation changes (in April 2017) that introduced the Apprenticeship Levy that means companies with a salary bill of more than £3 million/year will have a new levy imposed on them charged at a rate of 0.5% of the salary bill.
This certainly seems to have had the desired effect to encourage large organisations to offset the new tax by taking on more apprentices and this is one of the reasons PM Apprenticeships, and apprenticeships in general, have been gaining a higher profile in the past year.
Another reason for their popularity is the all-time high cost of a university degree. Higher Apprenticeships provide an alternative by not only enabling earning while learning, but young people end up with a degree-level qualification and no student debt. With student debt predicted to be £50K + for students embarking on university courses in 2018 this is a massive incentive to consider a Higher Apprenticeship instead.
Benefits for Apprentices
- Earn while learning
- Learn with peers
- Learn from experienced tutors with real world experience.
- Start building a career network
- Learn new skills and apply them through a combined theory and practice programme
- Modern learning methods including webinars and podcasts
Of course, there are also huge benefits to employers – taking on apprentices means they can fill immediate skills gaps while training them in their own corporate processes and culture; and the high retention rate of former apprentices reaps ongoing benefits and a high ROI for organisations too.
Benefits For Employers
- Fill skills gaps
- High retention rates
- Engagement with professional community
- Cost effective training via modern learning techniques minimises travel and time out of the office
- Workplace assignments add immediate value
The PM Apprenticeship Programme with Parallel Project Training
Project Management Apprenticeships are based on the skills defined by The Association for Project Management (APM) using their PMQ Qualification. This qualification is a recognised mark of quality both in the UK and internationally. It is also part of a clear career pathway for apprentices to work towards achieving Chartered status.
Here at Parallel Project Training we are fully accredited APM training providers and apprentices who join our two year Level 4 Project Management Apprentice programme will gain access to a wealth of knowledge in the project management field built up over many years. This will help apprentices develop their professional skills, ensuring they deliver successful projects reliably and consistently.
The Association for Project Management (APM) and NAW2018
The APM is the chartered body for the project management profession. Their aims are to ensure project management becomes a career of first choice and that the best talent is attracted to the profession.
APM is launching a PM Apprenticeship guide for parents because they have identified that parents are key career influencers who need to keep up-to-date with the changing careers landscape for their offspring. A landscape that is markedly different from when they embarked on further education or their first step on the careers ladder.
APM has also updated its employers guide to PM apprenticeships as more companies gain a better understanding of the Apprenticeship Levy. The guide also provides information about how employers can best make use of the resources available from APM.
Project Management Apprenticeship Increasing In Popularity
The good news is that PM Apprenticeships continue to increase in popularity – bucking the current national trend of other apprenticeships in the UK.
