The Engineering Council (see also pages 18-22) has welcomed an announcement made by the Government which sets out its implementation plan for reform of Apprenticeships, building on the recommendations of the Richard Review.
Developed initially as Trailblazers, the improved Apprenticeships will, the Council says, ‘bring greater focus on quality for the learner and ease of use for employers’. It adds: “Professional standards will be central to training and assessment, and those in engineering will meet the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) requirements for professional registration as Engineering Technician (EngTech) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
“The Trailblazers will develop a high-level approach to assessment during the design of the Apprenticeships. Employers and their apprentices will be engaged directly with the Professional Engineering Institutions, while the Engineering Council will take an active part in steering the new Apprenticeships to meet the needs of the engineering profession as a whole, building on the lessons learned from the initial pilot phase.”
Skills Minister, Matthew Hancock, said: “I am very pleased that the Engineering Council has chosen to be at the forefront of our Apprenticeship reforms. This is a great opportunity to support the Trailblazers, which are building on existing successes to lay the foundations for rigorous and easily understood Apprenticeships that will help Britain compete in the global race.”
