At a Staff Review and Development meeting, or regular development meeting, you should explore if an apprenticeship meets the staff members’ development needs and is the right development solution for both them and the department.
Consider the following:
- Is there a sizeable gap in the skills and knowledge that they currently hold in this area, and the skills and knowledge that you would like them to hold to be fully competent and confident in the role?
- Does the apprenticeship address this gap or would another form of training be more appropriate?
- Would the staff member be fully committed to completing the apprenticeship?
- Does the staff member meet the eligibility criteria for the apprenticeship?
- How will you accommodate the requirements of the apprenticeship e.g. spending 20% of their working hours in off-the-job training?
- Are there other individuals within your team who would benefit from completing an apprenticeship and would wish to do so?
- If this is the case then you will need to ensure that a fair and transparent application process is in place for members of staff.
- For example you may ask individuals to complete an application form that includes a supporting statement indicating why they want to complete the apprenticeship, how it meets their professional and personal development objectives and how they see the department benefitting from them completing the apprenticeship.
Remember an apprenticeship is not a suitable solution to address performance management issues.