Apprenticeships: Ultimate Guide for Line Managers
Posted on 1st October 2020 at 13:23
As a line manager your role is crucial to the success of the apprenticeship. Without line manager support most apprentices will not fully benefit from doing an apprenticeship and in some cases will struggle to complete their programme.
At Fareport Training we realise that this can be daunting for many busy managers, with almost 1 in 2 managers saying they do not feel confident in supporting their apprentices. We are here to help you and ensure that your apprentice gets the maximum benefit from their apprenticeship programme.
How can I support my apprentice?
Before your apprentice starts in a new role or their apprenticeship please make sure that you:
Understand the apprenticeship/s that your staff member/s are starting
Understand what is required – please review the requirements of the Apprenticeship Standard and End Point Assessment
Know what skills and behaviours your apprentice be asked to demonstrate and how these will be integrated into their work schedule
Read and understand the Fareport Training Commitment Statement and the apprenticeship standard your apprentice is on
Know what qualifications (if any) the apprentice will be taking as part of the apprenticeship
Be aware of your apprentice’s key milestones and individual learning plan
Familiarise yourself with the learning management system that your apprentice will be using
Be aware of any trainer appointments and schedules. Line managers should be attending a meeting with their apprentice and the trainer roughly every 12 weeks
Contact us or your L&D/HR lead directly if your apprentice is struggling, you feel that they are not progressing with their apprenticeship or you feel that the apprentice themselves are not being open with their trainer
If you have not already been provided with these, Apprenticeship Standards and End Point Assessment documents can be found here.
When your apprentice is in work
Be actively involved, interested and motivated – the programme will be planned to minimise disruption to day-to-day work schedules but apprentices will need to take time to study, meet with their Fareport Trainer, complete assignments and prepare their End Point Assessment (EPA). To help your apprentice:
Be aware of their schedule and encourage them to take it seriously
Be sympathetic to their commitments and help them to plan their work accordingly
Be enthusiastic about learning, your sector and about your area of expertise
Involve the whole team and create a welcoming and motivated team environment
It is important that scheduled sessions with the Fareport Trainer are not cancelled at the last minute and that you discuss any forward plans with them that may impact on the agreed timetable.
Expose your apprentice to new experiences – if they are a new employee, provide inductions to the company and your systems and processes:
Provide relevant inductions on things such as health & safety, data protection and company values
Set clear expectations of them and do not make assumptions about their capabilities
Encourage them to take responsibility
Where possible, consider setting work that is relevant to their apprenticeship standard with the support of their trainer
Consider a trusted member of staff to be their work-place Mentor or Buddy. Someone who they can turn to for support, especially during the induction stage
Discuss progress regularly – it is helpful if you can join your apprentice and their Fareport Trainer at reviews (whether face-to-face or on the phone) to discuss progress. As a minimum, we suggest that you join your apprentices review every 12 weeks, but we actively encourage regular engagement.
Provide constructive feedback on the learner’s progress to the Fareport Trainer when it is requested
Continue reflection and goal setting in your regular 1-2-1’s. Use the reports from the apprentice’s eportfolio (OneFile)
Celebrate success and take an interest in their long-term development
If you have concerns about your apprentice always discuss this with your Fareport Trainer, Fareport Account Manager, or any designated internal Learning & Development colleagues so that the relevant support and plans can be put in place.
See this as part of your own development – in our experience many managers who have fully embraced the task of line managing an apprentice have found it has benefited their own development and enabled them to be even better managers.
Continue with your own professional development, including best practice mentoring techniques.
Before completion of the Apprenticeship:
Discuss the next steps – having a clear idea of the opportunities for progression available, whether it is finishing the apprenticeship and continuing as a new role, going back to their role but applying their new knowledge, continuing onto a higher level apprenticeship or finding alternative opportunities
Know what opportunities are available within your business after the apprenticeship has been completed
Support the apprentice, in conjunction with Fareport, to seek alternative employment opportunities if nothing is available internally
If you would like further advice or support with any aspect of this, please speak to your Fareport designated Trainer.
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