New flexible approach to apprenticeships announced

Sectors, including the creative, agriculture and construction industries, can now bid for a share of a £7 million fund to support the creation of new flexible apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships are at least 12 months long, so some sectors with flexible employment patterns and short-term roles, such as digital, adult social care, transport and manufacturing have found it challenging to benefit from the high-quality opportunities available.

The government says that the fund will establish a small number of agencies that will set up new flexi-job apprenticeships so an apprentice can work across a range of projects and with different employers to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be occupationally competent.

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Gillian Keegan said: “We want to build an apprenticeship system that enables everyone to get the experience and knowledge they require to get the job they want, while ensuring employers have a diverse talent pipeline to meet their skills needs.

“Our flexi-job apprenticeships will unleash exciting new opportunities in sectors such as the creative industries and construction where employment is increasingly flexible and project-based, while also helping larger organisations to grow starts in their supply chains, levelling up chances for people to build the life they want.”

The first apprenticeships organised through flexi-job apprenticeship agencies are expected to start in early 2022.