Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network Research report for the Education & Skills Funding Agency John Higton, Dr Guy Birkin, Sophie Spong, Mary Winter, Andrew Corley and Arifa Choudhoury
CFE Research
For more information about this report please contact:
John Higton Research Director
CFE Research Phoenix Yard Upper Brown Street Leicester LE1 5TE 0116 229 3300 [email protected] www.cfe.org.uk
© CFE 2017 Established since 1997, CFE is an independent not-for-profit company specialising in the provision of research and evaluation services across a broad field of education, employment and skills.
Contents
01. Executive summary, key points and recommendations ...... 4 The landscape in which networks operate ...... 4 The perceived role of YAANs and ambassadors ...... 5 The perceived role of a national YAAN ...... 7 Summary of recommendations ...... 7 02. Research purpose and method ...... 9
Context ...... 9 Aims and objectives ...... 9 Methodological overview ...... 10 Profile of survey respondents ...... 11 Profile of qualitative interviewees ...... 14 03. Current landscape and structure of existing networks ...... 16 Governance structures ...... 17 Mapping the existing network structure ...... 20 Members’ and stakeholders’ views on the network landscape ...... 24 04. The role of YAANs compared to other bodies ...... 30 The role of young apprentice ambassadors and YAANs ...... 30 The importance and role of other organisations ...... 45 Working with other organisations ...... 46 05. Views on the function of a National YAAN ...... 49 Key benefits of a national YAAN ...... 49 A national YAANs development priorities ...... 53 How a national YAAN works with local YAANs ...... 56 A national YAAN’s key organisational relationships ...... 58 Challenges facing a national YAAN ...... 59 06. Conclusions and recommendations ...... 64 Conclusions ...... 64 Recommendations ...... 66 North East YAAN ...... 73
01. Executive summary, key points and recommendations
The landscape in which networks operate
Local or Employer Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (referred to as LAANs for the purpose of this study) find employers working together to support the work of apprentice ambassadors. The role of the ambassador is to promote apprenticeships and advocate them through describing their direct experiences to their peers. Networks exist to support ambassadors in this work.
Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (YAANs) fulfil broadly the same function but are often administered and managed by young people (who are current or past apprentices) themselves.
LAANs and YAANs have grown organically over the past decade, often in response to the needs of the regional and local economy. Growth has also been driven by individuals or groups that are enthusiastic about the impact such networks can have in encouraging take-up of apprenticeships. For members and stakeholders taking part in the research, the network structure for LAANs and YAANs is characterised by the following:
A fragmented national structure with variation in regional quality. Some regions possess well-established and strong networks whereas others are more isolated and lack cohesion.
Variance in awareness amongst target audiences. Audiences such as employers, schools1 and colleges are sometimes unaware about apprenticeships or networks.
Lacking in coordination or direction of communication. Cooperation between local networks with those of existing organisations to promote apprenticeships sometimes falls short and which is perceived to result in inefficiencies in delivery.
Nine in ten members agree that Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks [should] operate across the same geographical area as Local Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks.2 Respondents feel that there is no reason why a YAAN should operate on a different geographic scale to a LAAN or other network structure, because they occupy different aspects of the same promotional and geographical space.
Members were asked about the importance of a number of national government organisations in providing support and guidance services to young people who are thinking
1 School representatives taking part in this research were primarily from those with sixth-forms; see Table 1, p.13. 2 Throughout this report: italics are used to denote survey/interview questions; survey answer options are reported in quotation marks. In this particular instance, the question wording was Employer Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
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about undertaking an apprenticeship.3 Four in five members class The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) as “very important”, whilst three in four state the same for STEM organisations and The National Careers Service. There is a comparative lack of awareness of the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), which otherwise has significant potential to assist local networks in reaching schools. Two in five members classed CEC as “very important” in relation to promoting apprenticeships. CEC is building its recognition nationally and locally and its name was recognised by five-in-six members. Furthermore, three quarters of members said the CEC had at least a “fairly important” role to play in providing support and guidance services to young people thinking about undertaking an apprenticeship.
When the same question was asked of non-governmental organisations, more than nine in ten said schools were “very important”, with four in five saying the same for training providers / colleges and employers. Schools, training providers and employers were said to be well placed to collaborate with their network to support apprentices in the future alongside NAS.
The perceived role of YAANs and ambassadors THE MAIN ROLE OF YAANS Existing network members, employers and stakeholders all agreed that the primary purpose of YAANs is to promote apprenticeships to schools, young people and parents. Nine in ten members surveyed felt YAANs are, or could be, “very beneficial” in promoting apprenticeships in schools and colleges; four in five felt the same about stimulating the demand for apprenticeships amongst young people. Furthermore, over nine in ten members said that YAANs served a “very important” role in promoting apprenticeships to young people and in schools. Members also said that ambassadors should spent most of their time with students over 16 who are still in education and not undertaking apprenticeships; students between the ages of 14 and 15; and staff in schools. Employers and stakeholders held broadly the same views as members.
Teachers and careers advisors in schools (called ‘School Advisors’ as shorthand) were asked a similar range of questions about young apprentice ambassadors. The 79 School Advisors taking part were asked how important ambassadors would be in supporting a series of activities. Nine in ten (72) School Advisors said ambassadors would be “very important” in promoting apprenticeships to pupils in schools, 62 gave the same response to explaining that apprenticeships can be studied at degree level and 60 said promoting apprenticeships to parents was a “very important” ambassadorial role. Most (around three in four) School Advisors also thought that ambassadors would be “very beneficial” in developing links between employers and schools, supplementing the careers support and
3 ‘How important are the following non-government organisations or initiatives in providing support and guidance services to young people thinking about undertaking an apprenticeship?’
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guidance activity offered by your school and stimulating demand for apprenticeships from pupils generally. School Advisors were slightly less effusive regarding stimulating demand for apprenticeships from BAME pupils or those with learning difficulties / disabilities; however around half still said ambassadors would be “very beneficial” in this role.
Members, employers and stakeholders were also asked whether YAANs or other organisations were best placed to deliver a range of activities and two stood out as being the main preserve of YAANs. Four in five members said providing information to young people about the reality of being an apprentice was best delivered by a local YAAN; and nearly three quarters of members said the same for inspiring aspirational young people to apply for an apprenticeship. These two options were also the top picks for stakeholders and employers.
This is not to say that YAANs could not serve other purposes. Members saw that YAANs could be beneficial in delivering all of the outcomes they were asked to comment on including enabling social mobility, addressing skills gaps and encouraging low participation groups to take up apprenticeships.
Impact was rarely measured formally in the networks that took part in the research. Nevertheless, most respondents clearly understood what kind of impact ambassadors could have in terms of careers advice, and the impact networks could have in terms of organising ambassadorial activity.
VIEWS ON THE AMBASSADORIAL ROLE The apprentices taking part in the survey thought that an ambassadorial role had a number of benefits. Four in five agreed they would find it personally rewarding to help others in finding more out about apprenticeships. Two-thirds agreed with the statement the ambassador role would give me skills that are useful in my workplace and around three in five agreed they would be interested in finding out more about young apprentice ambassadors and that being an ambassador would improve my overall career prospects.
Nearly three quarters of apprentices agreed that with the statement my employer would be supportive if I said I want to be a young apprentice ambassador. However, many were concerned about the amount of time required for ambassadorial duties as three in five (60%) agreed they would be concerned about the amount of my own time I would need to spend to be an ambassador. Any time commitment was also potentially problematic in relation to work as two in five apprentices disagreed that their employer would be unwilling to let me take time off work to be an ambassador. Employers were generally happier to release staff for events if the ambassador was also promoting their company.
The key selling point of young ambassadors is their high credibility amongst school children, especially compared to most other advocates of apprenticeships. The young people fulfilling these roles were generally viewed as eloquent and very good communicators. They were seen as able at making meaningful connections and providing persuasive, inspirational messages to many audiences in addition to school children.
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The perceived role of a national YAAN Members responding to the survey agreed with the statement a national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network would be very helpful in supporting the work of local, regional and/or sectoral Networks; nearly three in five “strongly agreed” with this statement. The strength of the message on promotional activity was again strong as more than four in five members felt a national YAAN would be “very beneficial” in general awareness raising of apprenticeships amongst young people in schools.
According to members, a national YAAN should fulfil a coordination role to support local / regional delivery. This role had two core aspects:
1. The national YAAN could support local YAANs by creating central resources such as marketing collateral, best practice guides to being an ambassador, data and templates for presentations and materials / guidance on setting up networks. A national body could help provide access to existing physical resources and wider organisational networks.
2. A recognised national body could have greater influence with schools, some of whom may be resistant to promoting apprenticeships. A central voice speaking for a collective has greater reach into national organisations than individual local voices. Other bodies also hold contact data and maintain relationships focused on careers advice and guidance that local YAANs could potentially utilise.
The central coordination of local YAANs was seen as a missing link in effectively promoting apprenticeships to young people with a strong, consistent message. The National Apprenticeships Service was seen by members a playing a key promotional role.
Summary of recommendations
Six recommendations are provided based on the research evidence. These are summarised here and explored more fully in the final section of the report.
Be clear what a YAAN is for to make best use of ambassador’s time YAAN members have limits on their time due to the primarily voluntary nature of their involvement. The two main foci of activity strongly suggested from the research evidence are to provide information and to provide aspiration to school pupils.
Implement in partnership A Task and Finish Group should be established to develop and work through an implementation plan to support the launch of a national YAAN. Existing YAAN/LAAN members would welcome to chance to inform the design of a national YAAN. Including other national organisations operating in the same policy and delivery space would also help shape the best national network.
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Reflect existing arrangements The overwhelming view from the research is that any local or regional infrastructure should be aligned to the existing LAAN areas. This local focus and purpose strongly suggests that NAS should adopt a bottom-up approach to developing YAAN areas and, in so doing, retain and build on the YAANs already in place.
Consistency and flexibility Consistent, clear and simple terms of reference should be written for local YAANs. However, these terms of reference must also allow for local flexibility so that YAANs can address the needs of their local economic and educational environment.
NAS support package In order to deliver a sustainable network over the medium- to long-term, a minimum level of service and support from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is required. This support should:
Identify and, where necessary, develop a set of associated resources and/or collateral that can help YAANs deliver to their agreed remit.
Provide a resource pack or toolkit and an easy-to-use and easy-to-access online portal for presentations, apprentice case studies, etc. to support networks in the delivery of their core activities.
Provide a rolling learning-and-development and induction programme, or significant and consistent support for those that wish to run related activity at a regional and local level.
Give a named NAS contact to each regional network through which communications can be channelled and managed.
Consider a wider range of partners The role of the Careers and Enterprise Company is highlighted as the key partner for networks. Effective collaboration and communication with a range of other partners and stakeholders should be developed and prioritised within a region.
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02. Research purpose and method
Context
The Employer and Strategic Networks (ESN) team of the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible leading work with the Apprenticeship Delivery Board (ADB) and Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) to drive greater growth in apprenticeships and traineeships. The team works nationally across the four Education & Skills Funding Agency Areas – North, Central, South West and London & South East. At present, 19 Local Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (LAANs) are based across England, all represented on the national AAN chaired by David Meller.4
Part of the ESN Team’s role is to develop and implement a new strategy for apprenticeship ambassadors, including apprentices themselves and their employers. As noted below, government recognises that school children do not always get the right sort of information, advice and guidance (IAG) on apprenticeship routes, especially compared to that provided for academic routes into university for those expecting better grades.
One of the recent recommendations of the Commons Select Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy is for “Government [to] examine further measures to make [an] apprenticeship more accessible to all.” 5 The committee cites evidence from an earlier investigation that “schools were actively preventing other providers from giving their students information about apprenticeships.”6
To this end, one practical measure to address the lack of information and improve IAG to young people is through the continued development of Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (YAANs). Some networks operate on the same basis of Local Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks which find employers and apprentices working together to promote apprenticeships within a defined area and/or within an industrial sector. The distinguishing feature of existing YAANs is the involvement and commitment of young people (typically aged 24 or younger) in managing and delivering networks. However, the sporadic development of YAANs (including those not supported by the ESFA) has resulted in an inconsistent offer and approach.
Aims and objectives
The ultimate purpose of this research is to test the extent to which a national YAAN could support the work of local networks and, if viable, what the role and responsibilities of a
4 https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/apprenticeship-ambassador-network 5 Commons Select Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy (2017). Flagship apprenticeships policies will not fill growing skills gap. 31 March 2017. https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmese/206/20602.htm 6 https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmese/206/20604.htm
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national network should be. For the purpose of testing the concept, the proposed national YAAN as expressed in the Invitation to Tender for this research would be a:
Geographically defined single national network of current or former apprentices who are members of local Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks. Young apprentices undertake an ambassadorial role engaging primarily with schools/colleges and other events across England, raising awareness of apprenticeships with a view to increasing participation in apprenticeships amongst young people and employers.
The proposition of a national YAAN is explored through several research objectives:
1. Identify the key priorities and customers of a proposed national YAAN and their needs and requirements to shape a future YAAN and its position within a wider apprenticeship landscape.
2. Identify, map and understand the existing ESFA-supported YA local networks across England. This will cover local offers, reach, governance, membership, impact and opportunity to become part of a national YAAN. This includes understanding best practice to inform the ESFA Strategy on developing a national YAAN.
3. Identify, map and understand non-ESFA supported networks or similar across England, their offer, reach, governance, membership and impact and to again identify good practice.
4. Identify and understand similar Stakeholder offers, identifying opportunities to share best practice.
In the case of objectives 3 and 4, the amount of evidence of non-supported networks and similar offers presented by the research audience is limited, meaning there is little to report on these factors. Similarly, the discussion on the impact of YAANs is also limited because those in existence have been operating for a relatively short period, especially compared to LAANs. Most of the discussion on non-supported networks pertains to those operated by larger employers.
Methodological overview
The study took a mixed methods approach to primary data gathering. There were three broad strands of activity:
Scoping and secondary data analysis
Non-representative survey work with five audiences:
o LAAN and YAAN network members
o Stakeholders
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o Employers
o Schools7
o Apprentices
Qualitative work (comprising interviews and small focus groups) with all the survey audiences, plus school staff and pupils
Caveats on survey statistics due to sampling constraints The study is a qualitative exploration of the issues amongst the target audiences. The surveys are not representative of the target audiences and were primarily purposive in nature. Participants were recruited from both data sent by the ESFA of known individuals, which was augmented through some snowballing activity (asking interviewees to suggest other participants and/or forward a survey), and through dissemination by stakeholder organisations. No data is currently held on the total population of each survey audience as many ambassador networks are still developing but most current networks membership ranges from single digits to around 100 members. Developing and maintaining a database of ambassadorial activity would be beneficial, as this management information would help develop and evaluate network activity.
There is some cross-over between groups of participants as the boundary between stakeholder and employer is not fixed. A number of employer networks exist, especially for very large organisations that employ a large cohort of apprentices and/or have a long tradition with apprenticeships. This is the main cohort of non ESFA-supported activity; as such, employers know the economic and productive value for money apprentices provide for their businesses.
Finally, the sample sizes for the surveys are not large, which limits the ability to undertake sub-group analysis. Findings from such surveys should be treated as indicative but not necessarily representative of the views of that audience.
Profile of survey respondents MEMBERS In the case of network members, not all networks chose to participate in the study. Several reminders were issued. In some cases, a single individual completed a survey on behalf of the network whereas multiple members participated in other cases. Members could also forward surveys to others for completion. As a result, the total number of members who were invited to participate in a survey was unknown. The fieldwork period for the survey was December 2016 to February 2017.
7 School representatives taking part in this research were primarily from those with sixth-forms; see Table 1, p.13
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In total, 137 people responded to the member’s survey. Of these, 113 (83%) self-affiliated to an existing LAAN or YAAN (and the remainder did not take part in most of the survey). When asked about their strongest affiliation (i.e. whether they felt they would more likely describe themselves as a member of a LAAN or a YAAN), responses were split 50:50 between both options. Nearly all (92%) members say their networks operated over multiple sectors and that nearly three quarters (73%) operated in a formal way meaning that had a set organisational structures and some formalised governance.
One in six (17%) of the 137 people who began responding to a member survey either did not affiliate themselves to a network, or answered “don’t know” to the question about membership. This group were routed out of subsequent questions about existing networks within the survey. As noted within the methodology section, snowballing methods were used as part of the sampling approach, which is likely to account for why this level of screening was necessary.
The geographical coverage of member survey responses is presented in Figure 1. Most responses were received from members in the North West and South East compared to the much smaller coverage in London, the East Midlands and the East of England.
Figure 1: Geographical coverage of all membership survey respondents
Membership survey. Base: 139
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SCHOOLS Between January to February 2017, representatives from 79 schools completed a short survey for the study. The sample frame was developed by drawing on CFE’s contacts from previous research, and by ESFA and partner agencies from their contacts with schools and colleges. The majority of contacts in the sample were provided by Amazing Apprenticeships from their database of school staff with responsibility for careers information, advice and guidance. Both teachers and school careers advisors completed surveys and the term “school advisors” is used in this report in reference to their findings.
Table 1 shows that half of school advisors worked in Academy schools with sixth forms. Overall, three in five school advisors worked in academies with the same proportion working in secondary schools with sixth forms. By way of comparison, the most recent DfE Statistical First Release shows that academies and Free Schools comprise two thirds (65%) of the secondary school population with one in seven (17%) operating as Community Schools.
Table 1: Profile of school advisors by school type
Community Academy Other Total School
Sixth form status n % of all n % of all n % of all n % of all
Secondary school without 6 8% 4 5% 3 4% 13 17% sixth form Secondary school with sixth 37 47% 4 5% 4 5% 45 58% form Sixth form only 2 3% - - 4 5% 6 8% Other 2 3% 2 3% 10 13% 14 18% Total 47 60% 10 13% 21 27% 78
Nine in ten (70 out of 79) of the school advisors participating in the survey said they knew at least “a fair amount” about apprenticeships; one third said they knew “a lot”.
EMPLOYERS A total of 47 employers completed a short survey, following a purposive sample of employers. CFE directly contacted 25 employers from details supplied by the National Apprenticeships Service (NAS) business support team. Surveys were also disseminated on ESFA’s behalf by representatives from NAS and stakeholders. The fieldwork period for the survey was January to February 2017.
Over three quarters of employers surveyed (36 respondents) said they represented multi- site organisations, and the median number of employees was 5,000. Nearly all employers who stated their number of employers would be categorised as large (more than 250
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employees) using traditional measures. Because of the low number of respondents, data is reported using frequency rather than percentages.
Of particular interest from the sample of apprentice employers is the finding that they lack awareness of YAANs operating in their area. Only one respondent said there was one. However, 17 employers said they run their own apprentice ambassador system. The activities they undertake are discussed in the section on the perceived purpose of YAANs in Chapter 4.
STAKEHOLDERS In this context, ‘stakeholders’ describes people who work at a range of organisations with an interest or concern with apprenticeships. These include representatives from government organisations and agencies such as DfE and Sector Skills Councils, some larger employers, not-for-profit organisations and organisations concerned with career and workforce development.
A total of 48 stakeholders linked to skills, IAG activity and apprenticeships were invited to take part in a survey and 22 completed one.8 The sample of participants was derived from information sent to CFE by the Skills Funding Agency. The fieldwork period for the survey was December 2016 to February 2017.
Nearly half (10 of 22) of stakeholders describe themselves as knowing just a little about YAANs in their local area. Six of twenty-two said they had heard of [YAANs] but know almost nothing about them. Six stakeholders also said they knew a fair amount or a lot about local YAANs and of this group, four said their organisation has engaged directly with Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks. Half (11) of the stakeholders surveyed said their organisation operated across the UK and a further three operated across England.
APPRENTICES An individual survey was distributed to a small sample of apprentices who were listed on ESFA records and kindly distributed by Amazing Apprenticeships to their contact database. Further surveys were also distributed via a snowball methods including via links on social media. In total, 130 completed surveys were achieved with apprentices. The majority of these were those contacted via Amazing Apprenticeships. It is estimated between five and 10 surveys were completed by apprentices who were also members of existing YAANs or LAANs.
Profile of qualitative interviewees
We recruited people for in-depth telephone interviews or face-to-face interview by contacting respondents to the online surveys. Questions at the end of the surveys asked
8 The total number of “completes” was 24, however 2 said they knew nothing at all about YAANs so were routed out of the survey.
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respondents whether they would be willing to participate in further research, gathering the contact details of those who agreed. A preferred list of interviewees was agreed who were contacted by email and telephone. We contacted around 150 potential participants. The main exception were the two focus groups with pupils conducted in school who were recruited via snowballed contacts from stakeholder data.
Interviews were conducted between February and April 2017. Telephone interviews and groups lasted between 30 and 45 minutes. Discussion guides were drafted and signed-off, comprising similar questions with some variation for each of the audience types. We achieved a total of 58 telephone interviews (including two mini focus groups of four participants), as follows:
— 9 stakeholders — 37 YAAN/LAAN members (see Table 2, p.22) — 1 school — Two groups of school pupils (1 Year 10, 1 Year 11) — 6 apprentices — 3 employers In practice, some of the interviewees fit more than one category. As an example, an interviewee may have been an employer as well as a LAAN member, and apprentice ambassadors are of course also past or current apprentices.
Interviews were recorded and then transcribed before analysis. A coding frame was applied to map out the range of responses from different groups of interviewee.
Overall, interviewees were keen to discuss apprenticeships and the prospects for a national YAAN. Interviewees articulated the potential challenges of establishing a national network and how this might work alongside existing networks and systems. In particular, it was a pleasure to interview the young apprentices who spoke eloquently and confidently about how rewarding they found it progressing as an apprentice and acting as an ambassador.
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03. Current landscape and structure of existing networks
In this section, we present a broad conceptual map of the existing network structure to highlight differences in coverage, reach and membership. We then move on to outline the landscape in which networks operate and their governance structures. There are two broad categories of local network covered in this study:
Employer or Local Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (EAANs / LAANs); and
Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (YAANs)
These networks have grown organically over the past decade, often in response to the needs of the regional/local economy. Growth has also been driven by individuals or groups that are enthusiastic about the impact such networks can have, often demonstrated by specific outcomes for network activity. Based on testimony from members and stakeholders, this enthusiasm can be integral to the success of a network and in maintaining operations over time and if the individuals responsible leave a network, it can result in them becoming less effective.
Some [networks] are more or less disbanded, people change, they haven’t got the time to commit to the meetings and any networking events… there’s nobody taking on that leadership role, that kind of chair that would regularly bring them together and say what was required… There was nobody organising the group, so it just fell apart and they now do their own thing really. Stakeholder
Both data from the member’s survey and from longer in-depth interviews describe a series of networks whose coverage varies across England. The challenges that this poses towards meeting policy aims for apprenticeships and support the growth of apprenticeships at a local level forms a core part of this report. Structurally, networks can be conceptualised into four main categories illustrated in Figure 2 (overleaf).
The first category comprises YAANs that operate as a sub-unit of a wider local or regional network. In this instance, the YAAN fulfils a specific ambassadorial role for the network that is primarily concerned with activity within schools.
The second category finds local networks working as part of a larger regional body. In this case, the regional body provides some support and/or collective direction for the individual local networks. The local networks are a collection of stand-alone LAANs or YAANs, or coterminous networks operating networks of adult and young ambassadors over the same geographical boundaries.
Some public services or public bodies operate networks as part of a wider service offer, such as those that are part of Local Enterprise Partnerships (Model 3). YAANs typically operate in concert with LAANs when they are present.
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Finally, employers operate networks for the purpose of corporate social responsibility and recruitment, especially where there is a long-standing culture of apprenticeship delivery present, or when a large number of apprentices are employed. Such employers usually have large workforces and operate regionally, nationally or as multi-nationals.
Figure 2: Structural models of networks
No model is preferable to another. All offer solutions to the circumstances faced by the organisation responsible for setting up the network. In cases where a Local Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (LAAN) has been operating for some time, a newer YAAN was often set up as a sub-unit of that existing network.
Governance structures
Stakeholders, members and apprentice ambassadors were asked about the governance structure of their networks and what kind of governance structure would be appropriate for a national YAAN. Few interviewees had the requisite organisational experience of governance to be able to answer these questions fully. Considering those, we found little variation in recorded governance structures across the YAANs based on the evidence given.
Establishing network systems and structures In most cases, YAANs were developed from other existing organisations. As a result, YAANs are run by existing staff from these organisations and adapt their existing practices. For example, a board member from a YAAN that emerged from an existing LAAN described how an event in the local area acted as a catalyst. The interviewee and another apprentice were fulfilling an ambassadorial role at the time and recognised that the voice of young people was under-represented at most events they attended.
…we presented at the Employers’ event, it was in National Apprenticeship Week, I think it was about two or three years ago, and we did a talk as apprentices, and everyone said, ‘It’s really good.’ We spoke to NAS, [and asked] ‘It’s really good that there’s an Employer Network… but why are there not young people doing it?’ [The
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NAS staff member] said, ‘I’ll support you,’ so she got a core group of us together, and it started from there. YAAN Member
Local network governance structures In almost all cases, governance of YAANs and LAANs comprises a two-tier structure in which a small number of people comprise a board of executives who direct the operation of the organisations’ wider membership. Few local networks described a board structure that was representative of the network’s members (e.g. in terms of industry, occupation, etc.). This is likely because membership is typically driven by a desire to help spread the word and is reliant on significant good will from both ambassadors and employers (see The role of young ambassadors, p.33). One interviewee suggested that representation of local areas is important in establishing a national network to ensure the range of needs across England is adequately covered. In their view, this is not the current situation.
… It [the current regional and local structure] really could do with starting again, but for a [YAAN], defined regions and then a representative and a deputy from each region is, I think, a minimum. Those two people should then have their own network in [the areas they represent and report] back to the national board or national group. YAAN member
The size of local network boards varies from 8 to 25. Communication and organisation are said to become difficult beyond a certain number of board members, but this view varies across networks, depending on the systems they have in place. Large boards can suffer logistical problems because of difficulties getting all members to commit time for governance activities. However, the counterview is that voluntary activities can be shared so individuals spend less time away from their main roles in larger boards.
One YAAN’s board comprised only young apprentices, except for the chair who was someone with more experience, but the YAAN member we spoke to said it was the intention for the chair to eventually be taken up by a young apprentice. The barrier to that aspiration at the moment is having the right support systems in place and finding someone confident enough for the role:
I think we’re going to bring [a young ambassador chair] up at the next board. I think it’s early days, but I don’t think anyone would be confident at this point in time to do it. I think they’d need to be assured about how straightforward it is really and [how they would be] supported to take on the role… that’s definitely something that we would love to happen, but wouldn’t want to force anyone into it. YAAN Member
Most interviewees said networks used email as the primary mode of communication between members. Around half also used social media to engage with non-members, usually for marketing/recruiting purposes. In a couple of cases, YAANs and LAANs shared board members to support sharing ideas and planning between each organisation.
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Board meetings tended to take place quarterly, sometimes monthly. In addition to regularity, flexibility in adapting to local events/needs was also regarded as a valuable attribute of good network governance. Board members were not always able to attend all board meetings, especially if those meetings were frequent because of the required time commitment.
National network governance structures When asked about what kind of structure a national network should take, representation appeared to be a consistent and important element. Specifically, members said it was important that a national network should be representative of a) its constituent local networks, and b) its geographical coverage across England. The expertise of board members was also an important consideration in order to deliver the needs of a national network and to support regional / local structures most effectively. For example:
What I would have is someone from NAS or the [Education &] Skills Funding Agency, and then the chairs of each of those regions on the board… I think there needs to be individuals on the board who are from social media, marketing, PR and IT backgrounds, because that is such a key, to get the message out there. YAAN Member
Given that most local networks are geographically defined, then – if each local network is represented – geographical coverage should also be achieved. A different YAAN member thought that the national network should also be demographically representative.
I think setting standard quotas in line with what the demographics of England are, so making sure that within each region, whatever the sixteen to twenty-five-year-old demographics are, that they are represented on that board in the best way they can be. YAAN Member
Ensuring that the terms of reference for a national network aligns with those of other existing organisations is also important in order to make all parallel organisations efficient with clear terms of reference and specific organisational goals. Without the right level of strategic planning, respondents perceived a risk of operational overlap between organisations, including, in a couple of cases, other LAANs operating in the same area.
[The remit of a national YAAN] has to align very closely to what the National Employer Network will morph into [as well as] the Apprenticeship Development Board. There has got to be a clear line of sight between the, because there’s a shared agenda. YAAN Member
Appointing / Deselecting Board Members It was not always clear how networks establish their boards, nor how they appoint board members. However, a few interviewees mentioned how board membership changed as members had to drop out due to other commitments. One interviewee described a situation where a board dismissed members who could not commit enough time that they
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | 19
felt was not always fair. This outlines the difficult balance that YAANs need to strike between supporting activity and the working lives of its members.
Mapping the existing network structure SELF-AFFILIATION TO NETWORKS Network mapping relies primarily on the responses of members who were asked to record the name of the network to which they were affiliated. In addition, the location in which the member worked was derived from either the email address of their organisation or the standard dialling code of the listed telephone number. Whilst this method is imperfect, it does provide a sense of the geographical coverage of network members. Furthermore, where possible, networks were matched to a location based on either their name or internet searches on network websites. This includes matching networks outside of the home network as identified by members within the survey. The map shown overleaf in Figure 3 was created from this work and suggests:
wider coverage of LAANs compared to YAANs across England, with pockets of local YAANs in the North West and West Midlands; and
Fewer networks of any type in the East of England or the South West.
20 | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
Figure 3: Geographical locations of LAANs and YAANs derived from member contact details and other identifiers
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | 21
.
Table 2 provides a network coverage list based on survey responses and other known networks for which no survey responses were returned. This list is not definitive as some individuals responded without providing the name of their network. The list also includes a mix of networks that are and are not supported by the ESFA. In addition, most of the private employer networks mentioned in the employer sampling section (Profile of survey respondents) are not included. Furthermore, the accuracy of the assignation to a YAAN or LAAN by the respondent cannot always be verified without further re-contact work. Table 2 does, however, give a sense of the relative coverage and structure of networks by region. Some regions are covered by multiple networks including the North West, South East, South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside. A few networks operate across bordering Government Office Regions (indicated by an asterisk (*) in Table 2), especially between the South East and South West of England. Other regions have a sole response from a single network, such as the North East, although that does not mean there is a single network operating there. Nine national, employer or inter-regional networks were identified by respondents.
Table 2: Regional network map based on identifiable LAANs/YAANs listed by members
Government Office Region Network name Network type
East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network LAAN East Midlands East Midlands Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network YAAN Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough LEP Apprenticeship LAAN Ambassadors
East of England Hertfordshire Apprenticeship Ambassador Network LAAN New Anglia LAAN Norfolk Council YAAN YAAN Apprenticeship Information Ambassador Network London LAAN Apprenticeships Ambassador Network South East Both London London Employer Apprenticeship Network LAAN Lambeth Ambassador Apprenticeship Programme LAAN North East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network* Both North East North East Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network YAAN Greater Manchester Apprenticeship Ambassador Network YAAN
North West Lancashire Apprentice Ambassadors Network (inc. YAAN) YAAN Liverpool City Region Apprenticeship Ambassador Network YAAN North West Apprenticeship Ambassador Network* Both South East Coast 2 Capital LAAN East Sussex Apprenticeship Ambassador Network YAAN
22 | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
Government Office Region Network name Network type
Enterprise M3 LAAN Oxfordshire Apprenticeships YAAN Southampton City Council Apprenticeship Ambassadors Scheme LAAN Thames Valley Apprenticeship Ambassador Network Both West Sussex Apprenticeship Ambassador Network LAAN South West Dorset & Solent Local Apprenticeship Ambassador* Network LAAN
Cornwall Apprenticeship Ambassadors LAAN Heart of South West Apprenticeship Ambassador Network LAAN Plymouth Young Ambassadors Network YAAN Plymouth Apprentice Network LAAN South Gloucestershire Council LAAN South West Apprenticeship Ambassador Network LAAN West of England Both Cornwall Isle of Scilly LAAN The Apprentice Hub LAAN West Midlands Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network Both West Midlands Worcestershire Apprentices LAAN
Stoke & Staffordshire Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network Both Stafford Ambassador Network LAAN Yorkshire & Yorkshire & Humberside Apprenticeship Ambassador Network* Both Humber AMP Network YAAN Apprenticeship Ambassador Network Both Apprentices Means Business LAAN BAE Systems Education Programme LAAN Get In, Go Far YAAN
National / Industry Apprentice Council YAAN employer National Apprentice Network YAAN National Apprenticeship Council LAAN National Apprenticeship Network for Large National Employers LAAN STEMNet LAAN STEM Ambassador Network LAAN The Apprentice Network YAAN
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | 23
Members’ and stakeholders’ views on the network landscape
The organic and patchy structure of the existing network described in the previous section relates to members’ and stakeholders’ wider views on the operational landscape in which the local networks operate. In the main, the landscape is described as fragmented and, from a national (and sometimes regional) perspective, uncoordinated.
FRAGMENTATION The mapping section shows that there are a number of YAANs already operating at the local level. However, their operation is sometimes described as disjointed from both LAANs and that of other existing organisations promoting apprenticeships. Although there is evidence of informal links and strong cooperation between local YAANs in regions with well-established networks, such as the North East, East Midlands and North West of England, the YAANs in other areas can operate in isolation and lack coordination.
YAAN members have described the activity of local YAANs as “sporadic and locality- based”, with “lots of different groups doing different things, with no joined-up working or strategy at the moment”. In the absence of structure to ensure coordination and guarantee quality assurance, and with pockets of groups promoting apprenticeships, the fragmentation leads some interviewees to perceive operations to lack some coherence and a subsequent variation in the quality and performance of local YAANs.
The member’s survey illustrates the variety of levels in which YAANs operate. Whilst half describe their YAAN as a regional operation, others operate over a range of different geographies (Figure 4, overleaf).
Figure 4: Operational geographies described by members
Membership survey. Base: 113
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The 22 individuals taking part in the stakeholder survey agreed that the most effective geographic coverage for a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network was at local or regional level. Twelve stakeholders said that the most effective coverage is the town or city or county, unitary authority, LEP, and a further nine said either regional or national with a regional focus.
LACK OF AWARENESS AMONGST TARGET AUDIENCES Awareness amongst young people and schools Members interviewed in the qualitative phase of the research reported a general lack of awareness amongst schools and employers, as well as among organisations providing careers advice, of apprenticeships and of their benefits, success and modus operandi. Members noted that young people are not made aware of apprenticeships as an alternative route at the right time (when they are making decisions about further and/or higher education), and that there is insufficient, fragmented and inadequate information provided to schools to enable them to advise young people accordingly. One YAAN member highlighted that “it needs re-affirming that the traditional graduate route is not the preferred route”, while a stakeholder emphasised that “one of the issues is that young people struggle to get authentic information, kind of horse’s mouth information”.
Poor awareness and incomplete information about the benefits and value of apprenticeships has led to some members and stakeholders to conclude that apprenticeships are viewed by some young people, school advisors and parents as the less-optimal alternative in comparison with pursuing a university degree. Consequently, apprenticeships are often regarded by young people as a fall-back option rather than their first choice:
There was one young person who chose to go straight into an apprenticeship after, I think it was college, but he had to fight his parents to do it because he got good results and they thought that that wasn’t a good route for him to take. All the other stories are really about, ‘Well, I tried college and it wasn’t for me, and so I left that and started an apprenticeship because I found out about that after,’ or university. So I think the objective is-, I talk to all the young people and say, you know, ‘I hear your stories. We want your story to be able to prevent somebody else making the wrong decision.’ YAAN Member
Most of the school advisors surveyed said they knew at least a fair amount about apprenticeships but, as noted in the methodology section, the sample was derived in part from stakeholder bodies associated with apprenticeships. Around three in five of this cohort of school advisors said apprentices had visited their school to talk about apprenticeships; this compares to 17 in 20 who said employers come their school to give talks to pupils. Just 5 of the 79 school advisors taking part were aware of a YAAN operating it their area. Nine in ten of those unaware of YAANs said they would be interested in having a young ambassador visit their school to discuss apprenticeships with pupils.
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | 25
Other attractions of doing an apprenticeship included:
The likelihood that it will lead to a well-paid and secure job, rather than trying to secure an entry level job after college or university; and
The apprenticeship offers a wage while the young person is learning, which is more attractive than paying tuition fees.
Some pupils’ knowledge of apprenticeships was also incorrect as outlined in the testimony below. Theory and academic learning are a constituent part of apprenticeship learning.
It would be more of a fast route if the apprenticeship is in the job industry that you want to go in. [It is faster], because you go straight into that job without doing all the theory work and stuff, whilst learning right on the job, instead of taking out two years for college and about three years for university Year 11 pupil
Along with these attractions, most of the pupils said that they would have the support of their parents if they wanted to do an apprenticeship.
Most pupils had limited awareness of the pathways to an apprenticeship. One pupil who wants to become a midwife described the advice given by her teacher. The teacher said an apprenticeship pathway could lead to a midwifery higher education qualification9. In this example, the information was provided informally in response to a specific piece of work rather than through a formalised IAG process.
I heard it from a teacher, because she knew I wanted to be a midwife, because we were doing some work and filling out what we want to do later. She was like, ‘Oh, why don’t you look on that NHS Choices thing on Google, about apprenticeships,’ then I read about it and thought, ‘That sounds interesting.’ Year 10 pupil
Some pupils believed that an apprenticeship is not ideal for certain industrial sectors (careers in politics, government or the legal profession) and going to university might work out better. In the case of the legal profession, this belief is incorrect as there are a number of well-established pathways into different legal occupations available via apprenticeships. Furthermore, one was confused about which sectors offer apprenticeships and was under the impression that to become a doctor or follow a medical career you must do an apprenticeship.
Awareness amongst employers Some members and stakeholders say that employers, particularly smaller businesses, are facing difficulties in understanding how apprenticeships work, and how to employ
9 The midwifery apprenticeship pathway is in development at the time of writing.
26 | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
apprentices and deliver apprenticeship programmes. The lack of information and best practice examples has left some employers confused, and therefore struggled to see the benefit in taking on apprentices. In addition, a few members and stakeholders felt the lack of consistent and coordinated promotion of apprenticeships has led large companies operating more programmes that, as highlighted by one YAAN member, “could be detrimental to the individuals because they may not then be aware of the wider range of apprenticeships on offer”.
Around seven in ten (71%) of those taking part in the member’s survey work for large businesses which lends some support to the argument that supporting schemes like LAANs and YAANs are more likely, but not solely, to run by larger employers.
A number of our members join us because they’ve never run apprentice programmes before, and recognise there are other companies there who have done it and have learnt the hard way. [Some] of our members are [smaller businesses]… I think that’s fantastic, because often you think of apprentice programs as being just for the big boys. Stakeholder
NEED FOR CENTRAL DIRECTION AND COORDINATION OF COMMUNICATION According to stakeholders and members, there is a need to improve the information, advice and guidance offered about apprenticeships on a wider scale. Some interviewees emphasised the need to achieve greater promotion and exposure through multiple media, which is critical to addressing the lack of awareness characterising the current landscape. As such, they highlighted the need for central marketing expertise and PR resource to ensure the promotion of an adequate and consistent message and the increase in general cultural awareness. One interviewee stated:
“We need positive role models on the media, because there are just not any. … I think they should be going to local papers, and I think they should be going to news rooms, and I think they should be going to BBC, and I think they should be really lobbying the media, as a demographic who absolutely control the airwave” YAAN Member.
Some placed emphasis on social media as a PR tool as some felt this might provide a more suitable means to reach young people and achieve greater exposure. This view is supported in responses to the survey (see
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | 27
Table 3). Interviewees also report a need to coordinate and link the activities of local YAAN with those of existing organisations promoting apprenticeships to achieve operational synergy. As such, stakeholders felt there would be benefits from more centralised and top-down coordination of local YAAN’s activities through a national YAAN. There is also a very strong willingness for members to use their existing links with organisations that promote apprenticeships at the local and regional level. The central coordination of local YAANs is seen as a missing link in effectively promoting apprenticeships to young people with a strong, consistent message.
Table 5, p.47 ranks the various external organisations that are deemed most beneficial in supporting the work of YAANs. Of the national organisations listed, the National Apprenticeships Service is seen a playing a key role.
COTERMINOUS OPERATIONS Members were resoundingly in favour of YAAN’s operating conterminously (i.e. within the same physical geography) to LAANs. In the member’s survey, only 2 in 113 respondents said “no” to the question should a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network operate across the same geographical area as a Local Apprenticeship Ambassador Network? Nearly nine in ten (89%) said “yes” with the remainder stating “don’t know”. There was no difference in findings between those answering as part of a YAAN and those as an LAAN.
Depth interviewees explained how Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks could work collaboratively with LAANs to achieve greater reach in sharing the Apprenticeship agenda in their local areas. Specifically, it is the benefits achieved through a broadly shared mission that provides an economy of scale. For a number of interviewees, a young apprentice ambassador is an extension of existing ambassadorial activity rather than something separate. The advantage of young ambassadors is the breadth they add to a wider set of ambassadorial services.
Wherever I go, I take myself and I take a young ambassador with me. So if any of… the staff at the school want to talk, they talk to me, but the younger people always tend to talk to the schools or they talk to our young ambassadors. LAAN Member
As a result, there is no real reason for many respondents why a YAAN should operate on a different geographic scale to a LAAN or other network structure because they occupy different aspects of the same promotional and geographical space.
“I think the boundaries of the Young Ambassadors Network need to be coterminous with the employer ambassadors. They have the same geographical coverage… they can kind of work together. So, there may be some events where they both go, there’ll be other things that they’re doing but, I mean, I see the employer ambassadors more
28 | Current landscape and structure of existing networks | Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
likely to be on-boarding more employers and the young ambassadors more likely to be on-boarding more young people. It’s about how they complement each other.” YAAN Member
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04. The role of YAANs compared to other bodies
The role of young apprentice ambassadors and YAANs
One of the central objectives of the study is to understand the most effective role that young apprentice ambassadors and YAANs play in supporting and promoting apprenticeships. This chapter first identifies which audiences respondents think are the most important in relation to YAANs and their young apprentice ambassadors. The section then takes a thematic view on what research audiences think about the key attributes and benefits of young apprentice ambassadors.
Prior to discussing these points at length, members were asked a couple of questions about the preferred age of a young ambassador and for how long they should serve in the role. The median age range suggested for young apprentice ambassadors was a minimum of 16 to a maximum of 26 years of age.
The significant majority of respondents, at just under half of the total surveyed (49%) believed that there should be no limit to how long a person should be an apprentice ambassador. The next most popular response was that the ideal length of time is between one and two years (29%).
PERCEIVED PURPOSE OF YAANS The views of members Most members taking part in the survey said that YAANs would be beneficial10 in addressing all of a range of issues stated in the survey. (Figure 5 overleaf). However, two particular items were classed as “very beneficial” by many: promoting apprenticeships in schools and colleges (90%); and stimulating demand for apprenticeships from young people (80%). The less beneficial roles were supporting those with learning difficulties and disabilities onto apprenticeships (42%) and enabling social mobility (40%). However, it is important to note that more than four in five members still think that YAANs are at least “fairly beneficial” in achieving these goals.
Over half of surveyed members said that YAANs would be very beneficial in stimulating demand for apprenticeships from employers (54%) and developing links between employers and schools and colleges (56%). In a separate question, fewer respondents felt that YAANs either were or could be “very important” (44%) in providing support targeting specific industrial sectors11.
10 Aggregate measure of “very beneficial” and “fairly beneficial” on a four point Likert Scale. Other options were “not very beneficial” and “not at all beneficial”. 11 Base: 113
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Figure 5: How beneficial are / could Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (be) in addressing the following
Membership survey. Base: 113
Looking specifically at promotional activity, members said that YAANs would be important12 in supporting all the activities presented in the survey (Figure 6). Looking solely at those classing a promotional activity “very important”, promoting apprenticeships to young people (94%) and schools (92%) were ranked most highly.
After that came activity aimed at parents (81%) or the wider population attending events such as careers fairs (80%). Activity aimed at employers or utilising social media were ranked last, although still deemed “very important” by at least half of surveyed members.
12 Aggregate measure of “very important” and “fairly important” on a four point Likert Scale. Other options were “not very important” and “not at all important”.
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | The role of YAANs compared to other bodies | 31
Figure 6: How important are / could Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks (be) in supporting the following activities
Membership survey. Base: 113
The activities of employers’ ambassador networks Of the 47 employers taking part in the survey, 17 said they ran their own Apprenticeship Ambassador Network. The main aims of such non-ESFA engaged networks were promoting apprenticeships within schools and colleges (16 of 17) and promoting apprenticeships to young people (15 of 17). Promoting to parents (11) and employers (6) was undertaken by fewer respondents.
All employers were asked about how important young apprentice ambassadors were, or would be, in fulfilling a range of activities. Figure 7 (overleaf) shows how many of the 47 respondents stated each listed activity as “very important”. The same focus on schools and young people suggested my members is also apparent in the response from employers.
A couple individuals representing large employers with non-ESFA engaged ambassador networks undertook a longer qualitative interview. These employers used existing apprentices as ambassadors as a recruitment tool for their company and the sector in which they operated. In both cases, their internal network was internally funded and fulfilled an important recruitment role for the company. Both companies were long-standing employers of apprentices and recognised the added value apprenticeship training made to their company. In one case, ambassadors were also used to address diversity issues within their sector and encourage young people from unrepresented backgrounds to consider careers in their sector. The core activities of these networks were the same as those of funded networks: visiting schools and advocating apprenticeships through association with a young person’s direct experience of being an apprentice.
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Figure 7: Number of employers stating each activity as “very important”
Employer Survey. Base: 47
Views of stakeholders In line with other audiences, nearly all stakeholders said that promoting apprenticeships in schools and colleges was the most important role of YAANs; 20 of the 22 surveyed stakeholders said YAANs would be “very beneficial” in promoting apprenticeships in this way. Most stakeholders said YAANs would be at least “fairly beneficial” in the other three options presented: Addressing skill gaps within important industrial sectors / occupations (17 of 22 stating at least “fairly beneficial”); developing links between employers and schools and colleges (19 of 22); and supporting social mobility (20 of 22).
Stakeholders were also asked how effective YAANs are or could be in stimulating demand for apprenticeships amongst several audiences. The strongest response was for the item young people generally for which 17 of 22 said YAANs were or could be “very effective”. In comparison, fewer stakeholders rated YAANs as “very effective for the other options namely: young people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds (12 selecting “very effective”); young people with learning difficulties or disabilities (8); and employers (6). However, the majority of stakeholders did select the next best option of “fairly effective” for these groups. Stakeholders were lukewarm on the importance of sector- specific coverage from YAANs; seven of 22 said this was “very important” with a further 10 rating sector-specific coverage as “fairly important”.
THE ROLE OF YOUNG AMBASSADORS Views of apprentices on the ambassador role The survey of apprentices (most of which were not members of existing YAANs) shows support for the role of ambassadors. Figure 8 below shows around three in five (59%) apprentices agreed with the statement in principle, I would be interested in finding out more about young apprentice ambassadors. Two-thirds (67%) of apprentices agreed that
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | The role of YAANs compared to other bodies | 33
the Ambassador role would give me skills that are useful in my workplace. Furthermore, just over three in five (62%) agreed that being an Ambassador would improve my overall career prospects. Four in five (80%) of young apprentices said they would find it personally rewarding to help others in finding more out about apprenticeships, whereas only eleven per cent said they would not.
Figure 8: Apprentices’ views on the ambassador role
Apprentices Survey. Base: 130
A number of Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network members described their motivation for taking up the role during in depth interviews. When asked what skills or abilities an important for a young ambassador to have, many cited competencies that have relevance in the workplace, such as networking, communications and public speaking. They highlighted how acting as a young ambassador, e.g. presenting to classes, gave them a chance to practice and develop skills that they would not normally have experienced.
For one, a confidence boost, so that I can be more confident with public speaking, it's something I've wanted to improve on. YAAN Member
By working in a network, some young ambassadors have not only had the chance to inspire other people but also to think more broadly about what they ultimately want out of their own career. It also gives them a chance to gain experience outside of their ‘day job’ to add to their CV or speak about at a job interview.
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… [Being a young ambassador has] made me think a lot more about what career path I want to go into. On my apprenticeship, I did level two and level three, so it’s really an advanced. Now, I’ve finished those, it’s, like, what do I do next? I think the network helped me to realise that I do want to move on to level four and do one of the progressive intern onto your business, and want to carry on with my actual qualifications. YAAN Member
Another common motivation was the desire to address the lack of information they felt they received when making decisions about next steps at school. Many young apprentice ambassadors felt they did not get the right sort of balance in advice whilst at school, especially if they were getting good grades. Many felt a cultural and institutional pressure to follow an academic route into university.
I didn’t want other people to go through the same thing that I went through when choosing an apprenticeship; the school not being very helpful, getting no careers advice and that type of thing. I wanted to help [school children] be well informed and not be forced to go down the university route; to have an idea of both and then to be able to be well-informed to make the decision for themselves. YAAN Member
School pupils were asked about the value of receiving information from young people about apprenticeships as part of the focus groups. All pupils agreed that such visits would help them find information on learning activity associated with an apprenticeship, what they will get out of an apprenticeship, and how it will help their job prospects. Pupils said are currently getting information about apprenticeships from their teacher, learning resources such as Kudos, PDE (Personal and Development Education) lessons, and from some outside speakers, including Connexions/or local National Careers Service (NCS) Providers and speakers from local universities.
Preferred communication methods As shown in Table 3, most members felt that the most appropriate methods for young ambassadors to use to when communicating with school children are direct, face-to-face approaches (96%) and attendance at events such as skills shows, careers fairs, etc. (90%). Although social media was the least popular option, it was still cited as appropriate by 68% of members. There was no difference in views between LAAN and YAAN members, or between those aged up to 23 and older respondents.
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Table 3: Most appropriate methods for young ambassadors to use when contacting specific audiences13
Face-to- Attendance Social Audience Base face to events media
School children 108 96% 90% 68% Teachers or careers staff in schools providing IAG 113 96% 71% 36% Teachers or careers staff in Colleges providing IAG 112 91% 78% 38% Parents 113 83% 81% 50% Local employers 108 81% 70% 58% Young NEET aged 16 to 18 113 76% 85% 74% Adults NEET aged 19 to 24 109 68% 83% 84%
Face-to-face communication methods are deemed the most valuable for a school setting, and viewed as relatively valuable for communicating to all listed audiences. Events were deemed as most appropriate for younger audiences and their parents, whereas social media was preferred for young people. Social media was not viewed by most members as an effective communication tool for teachers.
Recommendations for the use of social media depended on the type of membership (again recognising the small sample sizes). Where there was a difference, LAAN members were more likely to advocate social media than YAAN members. Nearly half of LAAN members (46%) suggested social media was appropriate for young ambassadors to use when communicating with teachers and careers staff in schools compared with just over a quarter (27%) of YAAN members. Similar differences were found between LAANs and YAANs for communicating with teachers and careers staff in colleges (48% v 27%).
LAAN members were also more likely than YAAN members to advocate face-to-face methods with both NEET age groups (86% compared to 66% for NEETs aged 16 to 18; 82% v 53% for the older NEET group).
When young apprentice ambassadors are at their most effective All respondents were also asked whether a young apprentice ambassador would be more effective [at communicating with each audience] whilst they are still training or after they have completed their apprenticeship. An option for “no difference in their level of effectiveness” was provided and this was selected by around half of all respondents for each audience.
The distribution of the responses in Table 4 shows a difference in response for the youngest two target audiences. Where respondents stated a preference, it was viewed that those still on an apprenticeship would be more effective communicators to the
13 Question: Which of the following methods are appropriate for young apprentice ambassadors to use to when communicating with…
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youngest audiences (school children and young NEETs). These views do not change with membership type or age.
Table 4: At what point in their Apprenticeship are young ambassadors best placed to contact specific audiences
Whilst still After they have training on their completed their No Audience Base apprenticeship apprenticeship difference
School children 120 29% 15% 56% Young NEET aged 16 to 18 127 28% 18% 54% Teachers or careers staff in schools 126 20% 28% 51% providing IAG Parents 131 19% 30% 50% Local employers 129 19% 31% 48% Adults NEET aged 19 to 24 122 18% 28% 54% Teachers or careers staff in Colleges 130 15% 29% 54% providing IAG
DIVISION OF TIME AMBASSADORS SHOULD SPEND BETWEEN AUDIENCES Members were asked about the amount of time young ambassadors should spend with different audiences (Figure 9: How much time should young apprentice ambassadors be spending with the following audiences?Figure 9). The three audiences that feature most in the member’s survey were:
Students over 16 who are still in education and not undertaking apprenticeships;
Students between the ages of 14 and 15; and
Staff at schools.
Members think that the most time should be invested with those still in the school system (both students and staff). Stakeholders also ranked these three options the highest. The data also shows that members believe ambassadors should be spending the least time with universities and other higher education providers, regional stakeholders and funding and quality assurance organisations. Nearly all stakeholders (20 of 22) say young apprentices should spend at least “some time” with regional stakeholders. There is no variance in this view by type of membership or age.
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | The role of YAANs compared to other bodies | 37
Figure 9: How much time should young apprentice ambassadors be spending with the following audiences?
Membership survey. Base: 113
APPRENTICES’ VIEWS ON THE TIME REQUIRED FOR AMBASSADORIAL DUTIES As noted in Profile of survey responses section (p.11), surveyed apprentices were, with a few exceptions, not members. Figure 10 shows three in five (60%) apprentices taking part in the survey agreed they would be concerned about the amount of my own time I would need to spend to be an Ambassador. Moreover, agreement with the statement apprentices are too busy in their work to spend time being an Ambassador were mixed: two in five (40%) disagreed, whereas just over a third (35%) agree.
This concern about the time that young ambassadors would need to dedicate to network activities was echoed by both current ambassadors and network organisers. Both groups noted the importance of the support for both a young ambassador’s line manager and organisation as a whole.
…without my company letting me have the time off… I probably wouldn’t have done 10% of what I’ve managed to do because of the company’s support. YAAN Member
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Figure 10: Apprentices’ views on the time spent as an Ambassador
Apprentices Survey. Base: 130
The survey asked apprentices whether they agreed with a series of statements about their employer (Figure 11). The principle of being a young ambassador met with strong support from nearly three quarters (73%) of respondents, who agreed that my employer would be supportive if I said I want to be a young apprentice ambassador. Only five per cent felt that their employers would not be supportive, but some apprentices were less positive about one of the practical aspects: One quarter of respondents said that my employer would be unwilling to let me take time off work to be an Ambassador. More than two in five (42%) disagreed, however, whilst just over one third (35%) stated “don’t know”.
Figure 11: My employer would be unwilling to let me take time off work to be an Ambassador
Apprentices Survey. Base: 130
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As shown at the foot of Figure 11, apprentices identified a clear issue with the comparative quality of information they received from teachers. Nearly four in five (79%) disagreed with the statement that school teachers are able to provide better information about being an apprentice than apprentices themselves’, and only 14% agreed. This is a strong and common theme to emerge from qualitative interviews with all research audiences.
In all honesty, [teachers have] all the usual prejudices [about apprenticeships], and you go, ‘Hang on a minute, we offer level 6, level 7 apprenticeships. These are brilliant.’ There’s still a massive lack of understanding. Also, [schools are] incentivised to keep their kids on. They don’t want to lose them at sixteen… you can have very academic apprenticeships. There’s some very high powered ones, really tough... They’re absolutely not purely vocational, just whacking things with hammers (not that that’s a bad thing). LAAN Member
Some current young ambassadors had noted while their employers were supportive of some of the activities, they had also had to use annual leave or given up their own time in evenings to attend events. The balance of paid time away from work and use of personal time depended on how well the activity aligned with the company’s priorities. For example, apprentices and Young Ambassadors felt their employers were happier to let them out of work for an event if the event could be used to specifically promote the company or push their specific apprenticeship.
That’s what’s good about my network, you’re able to choose which events you want to go to and which ones you’re able to, based on what you and your employer can agree on. YAAN Member
One of the Network organisers suggested that guidance outlining how many hours a young ambassador would be asked to commit to over the span of a year or two would help both the employer and young ambassador know how much time would be spent away from work. They suggested that resources to help provide backfill cover for when the young ambassador was away would be useful.
KEY BENEFITS THAT YOUNG AMBASSADORS BRING ‘Age sensitive’ representation In the view of members and stakeholders, ambassadors are “the face of apprenticeships”. YAAN Members play a key role in effectively communicating to key audiences. One of the stated advantages of young apprentice ambassadors is ensuring ‘age sensitive’ representation. Young apprentice ambassadors were felt better-placed than older apprentice/employer ambassadors to promote apprenticeships to the young. As emphasised by on YAAN member, “young people talk to young people”. One stakeholder said young people “want to hear from people who look like them, sound like them and were them three years ago.”
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There's nobody greater than the apprentices to be able to tell their own success story. There's definitely something, you know, I know that there're no age limits on apprenticeships, but in reality, apprentices tend to be younger. It must be much more believable, much more credible, much more exciting, to hear how you can progress through the ladder of opportunity, if you're hearing from it from somebody that's living it, rather than an 'old' person… otherwise it's just like your Mum and Dad telling you that you should do this, or you should do that. LAAN Member
This view was shared by school advisors, seven in ten of whom said that age is an important factor when communicating with pupils. When asked why, the overwhelming response was young people relate better and can emphasise with other young people.
Pupils always empathise with younger people more, they often report this on pupil voice activities. Hearing their first-hand accounts would be very motivating for them. School Advisor
Figure 12 shows that nearly all 94% of apprentices taking part in the survey agreed that it is a good idea to use young apprentices to promote apprenticeships. Eighty-four per cent of respondents would be more trusting of information about apprenticeships if it were provided by someone closer to their age.
Figure 12: Using young apprentices to promote apprenticeships to pupils in schools is a good idea
Apprentices Survey. Base: 130
Apprentices were asked about the types of benefits that a young person could bring the Ambassador role. Over four in five (82%) said understanding how pupils think about options when they finish their studies was a benefit; nearly three quarters (73%) said a young ambassador would know what information is most important to pupils about apprenticeships. The third highest ranked benefit was that a young ambassador would use language in a way that pupils would understand (62%).
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Previous apprentices and stakeholders like highlighted that using young ambassadors can help inspire others to take up an apprenticeship “knowing that if I can do it, they can do it” rather than just having an adult or teacher speaking with you. Young ambassadors who are close in age to the prospective apprentice can help school children see that gaining an industry qualification is “not that far off” and helps contextualise educational choices.
If you’ve got somebody like myself that’s been through it and done it and has now got a good job...I’ve got a house, I’ve got a car, I’ve managed to have a baby, I go on holiday every year, if you can sell that to young people, that’s what people want in life. YAAN Member.
Experiential knowledge Moreover, while older apprentice/employer ambassadors and other representatives promoting apprenticeships provide useful factual knowledge, young apprentice ambassadors are valuable sources of experiential knowledge. Their stated key advantage is that they come across as authentic and are “live case studies”.
…the engagement of [young people is valuable], 'I was there two years ago, there's nothing like it. This was me, I was where you are,' just being able to associate with somebody who is younger. School Advisor
This increases the credibility of their message and the likelihood of young people engaging with them. As collectively highlighted by the interviewees, the essential role of young apprentice ambassadors is to inspire young people to pursue apprenticeships, or as one YAAN member stated, “to win hearts and minds”. As such, since they are prime examples of success stories, they can serve as role models for undecided young people aspiring to pursue careers in different industries.
It’s not to bog them down with all the apprentice information. Which is, obviously, important… [It is seeing] where they could go with apprenticeships. That’s the main thing for the network that we’re part of, on a way. To be honest, we could try and inform people about that, because I think it’s easy as a young person to see. If you see another young person doing really well, they see what they can achieve with an apprenticeship, rather than just being told what they’re about. YAAN Member
The value of direct experience communicated by people closer to the age of school children fits well with the key audiences and division of time suggested for ambassadors earlier by members. Improved and appropriate communication also helps meet the aim of increasing the overall awareness of apprenticeships.
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Furthermore, nine in ten (90%) of members surveyed with knowledge of young apprentice ambassadors14 said that young apprentice ambassadors are at least fairly beneficial in promoting awareness of apprenticeships in their area; three in five (60%) say young ambassadors are very beneficial in this regard. Nearly four in ten (38%) of those who said there was no YAAN in their area, or did not know if there was,15 said a network of young apprentice ambassadors would be very beneficial in promoting awareness of apprenticeships in their area.
Ambassador and employer benefits The benefits of local YAANs were said to extend to both young apprentice ambassadors and employers. Members said that the activities performed by young apprentice ambassadors help them develop interpersonal skills, such as communication, presentation and networking. This, in turn, facilitates their personal development and makes them more employable. Members also felt that employers benefited from the personal development of young apprentice ambassadors in terms of productivity gains and improvements in their ability to perform their role. Further, employers were said to receive promotional and communication benefits for their companies through ambassadorship. Members also highlighted apprenticeships as an effective means to reducing skills gaps within companies and industries, thus reinforcing the importance of local YAANs and the work of young apprentice ambassadors in promoting apprenticeships.
Employers were asked a series of questions about their views on the benefits to ambassadors. All surveyed employers ambassador employees benefited the capacity of [their] organisation to engage with your local community and their ability… to improve the skills of apprentices. Employers without ambassadors gave higher scores for two impacts: the need to cover for apprentices when they are away from the workplace; and address(ing) your organisation’s corporate social responsibility. The bases for both cohorts are low16, so these differences should be viewed as points for general discussion / further exploration as they are not statistically significant.
Most employers felt that the young ambassador role were at least “fairly important” in realising the benefits listed in Figure 13. Looking solely at the “very important” benefits, the development of interpersonal skills was viewed as the most important attribute of the ambassadorial role to young people (32 of 47 respondents).
Most employers also felt young apprentice ambassadors had at least a “fairly important” role to play in the activities listed in Figure 14. Looking again at the “very important” ratings, developing links between employers and schools and colleges was viewed as the most important benefit derived from the ambassadorial role (26 of 47 respondents).
14 Base: 102 respondents 15 Base: 80 respondents 16 Have ambassadors: n=17; Do not have ambassadors: n=30
Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network | The role of YAANs compared to other bodies | 43
Figure 13: Value of the role to young apprentice ambassadors
Employers Survey. Base: 47
Figure 14: Benefits to employers of young apprentice ambassadors
Employers Survey. Base: 47
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The importance and role of other organisations
Members were asked to rate the importance of a number of organisations that provide support and guidance about Apprenticeships to young people.17 The majority classed all organisations as important18 (Figure 15). Members clearly ranked The National Apprenticeship Service as “very important” (80%) above all others. The organisations ranked next as very important were organisations promoting learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and the National Careers Service (both 59%), and the Department for Education (54%).
Figure 15: How important are the following government organisations or initiatives in providing support and guidance services to young people thinking about undertaking an apprenticeship?
Membership survey. Base: 113
Of special note for this study are views on the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) because of their future importance in delivering activity strongly related to that of AANs and YAANs. Around three quarters (74%) of respondents said the CEC was at least fairly important. However, there was a notable proportion stating “don’t know” (16%) which indicates some level of unawareness of CEC from members.
The only “significant” statistical difference by membership type was in relation to organisations promoting learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Nearly seven in ten (68%) of LAAN members said these were “very important” in providing support and guidance to young people compared to half (50%) of YAAN members.
17 Question: How important are the following government organisations or initiatives in providing support and guidance services to young people thinking about undertaking an apprenticeship? Base: 113 18 Aggregate measure of “very important” and “fairly important” on a four point Likert Scale. Other options were “not very important” and “not at all important”.
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The same question was posed concerning a set of listed non-government organisations in Figure 16. Again, all options are classed as at least “fairly important” by a large majority of members. Looking at those classed as “very important”, schools (92%), training providers / colleges (82%) and employers (79%) are ranked highest.
Figure 16: How important are the following non-government organisations or initiatives in providing support and guidance services to young people thinking about undertaking an apprenticeship?
Membership survey. Base: 113
Working with other organisations
Members were asked a further question about national organisations they felt were important in supporting apprenticeships: how well placed each were to collaborate with their network to support apprentices in the future. Looking at the responses (Table 5), four organisations stood out as “very well-placed” in the view members:
The National Apprenticeship Service (61% stating very-well placed);
Training providers / colleges19 (56%);
Schools / colleges17 (52%); and
Employers (49%).
These responses suggest that the organisations closest to apprentices themselves were considered best-placed. There were two differences of opinion between membership
19 This is the exact wording of the survey item for that question. “Colleges” was not defined as clearly as possible. The analysis infers that training colleges, primarily private, are included in the “Training providers / colleges” item and general FE Colleges in the “Schools / Colleges” item. However, the survey question does not make this implicit.
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types. LAAN members were more likely than those from YAANs to say that Local Enterprise Partnerships (46% versus 28%) and STEM specific employers/bodies (42% versus 18%) were “very well placed” to help them support apprentices in the future.
Table 5: [Of the organisations the respondent said were important in supporting apprenticeships], how well- placed are they to collaborate with your network to support apprentices in the future?
Very well- Fairly well- Not very Organisation Base placed placed well-placed
The National Apprenticeship Service 109 61% 25% 9% Training Providers / Colleges 111 56% 35% 5% Schools / colleges 112 52% 34% 9% Employers 110 49% 37% 6% The National Careers Service 103 41% 27% 19% Local Enterprise Partnerships 92 37% 45% 11% The Careers and Enterprise Company 83 36% 40% 14% Organisations promoting learning in STEM 104 30% 49% 7% STEM specific employers/bodies 104 30% 50% 10% Department for Education 97 28% 36% 19% Employer representative bodies 104 25% 46% 18% Job Centre Plus 86 23% 38% 27% Local voluntary / community organisations 95 22% 49% 18%
The ranking for stakeholders still found The National Apprenticeship Service towards the top (13 of 22 respondents stating “very well placed”) but after schools (14 of 22). Twelve said the same of Existing Employer Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks that lends some tangential support to the argument that LAANs and YAANs should be coterminous.
Role of local YAANs relative to other organisations Figure 17 illustrates members’, employers’ and stakeholders’ views on the balance in roles between YAANs and the types of other organisations noted above in delivering listed activities. This is presented as a mean score whereby 1 represents best delivered by a local Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and 5 represents best delivered by other organisations. As a result, low mean scores were those activities perceived to be the domain of a local network.
Figure 17 is ranked by the activities members think are the main responsibilities of local networks. Two activates were clearly seen as the main preserve as YAANs. Nearly four in five members (79%; mean of 1.3) said providing information to young people about the reality of being an apprentice was best delivered by a local YAAN. Nearly three quarters of members (73%; mean 1.4) of members said the same for inspiring aspirational young people to apply for an apprenticeship. There was no difference in views by membership type. Furthermore, the mean scores for employers and stakeholders mirrored the view of members (both 1.3 and 1.6 respectively for each item).
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Conversely, improving retention rates on apprenticeships was not generally seen by members as the role of local YAANs with over half saying this was better delivered by other organisations20; stakeholders mirrored this view. Similarly, employers felt other organisations were best placed to outline the financial aspects of being an apprentice (mean 3.5) and in providing information, advice and guidance to organisations like yours about employing an apprentice (mean 3.9).
Figure 17: Members’, employers’ and stakeholders’ views on the role of a local Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network versus other organisations in relation to specific activities
Membership survey. Base: 113; Employer survey. Base: 47; Stakeholder survey. Base: 22
20 “Better” being the aggregate of a response of 4 or 5 on a five point Likert scale.
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05. Views on the function of a National YAAN
Earlier, the views of members that the existing wider network lacks coherence and finds some local YAANs isolated were presented. Interviewees emphasised the need for some central coordination through a relatively light-touch national governance and support structure.
Key benefits of a national YAAN
Nearly all members responding to the survey were supportive of a national YAAN as 98% agreed21 with the statement a national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network would be very helpful in supporting the work of local, regional and/or sectoral Networks. Nearly three in five (58%) “strongly agreed” with this statement.
In their surveys, members and stakeholders were asked how beneficial will a national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network be in delivering the following aspects of government apprenticeship policy? As shown in Table 6 overleaf, by far the biggest perceived benefit of a National YAAN amongst members is to promote general awareness of apprenticeships amongst young people in schools with over 4 in 5 (82%) members stating a national YAAN as “very beneficial” towards this policy aim. Stakeholders agreed with 18 of 22 ranking a national YAAN as “very beneficial” for this activity.
Nearly two thirds of members (64%) said a national YAAN could be potentially “very beneficial” in generating demand [for apprenticeships] amongst young people with high career aspirations. Again, stakeholders also ranked this outcome second highest (19 of 22 choosing “fairly” or “very beneficial”).
Note that the lowest priorities of a national YAAN stated by members in the survey concern structural elements of an Apprenticeship (i.e. their quality and completion rates).
There was no difference in views between the respondent’s membership affiliations (LAAN compared to YAAN).
21 Using a four point Likert scale. An aggregate “Agree” measure comprises strongly agree and tend to agree; An aggregate “Disagree” measure comprises strongly disagree and tend to disagree
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Table 6: How beneficial will a national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network be in delivering the following aspects of government apprenticeship policy?
Government policy area Very Fairly Not very Not at all Don’t beneficial beneficial beneficial beneficial know
General awareness raising of 82% 15% 0% 0% 3% apprenticeships amongst young people in schools Generating demand from young people 64% 32% 0% 0% 4% (aged 16 to 24) with high career aspirations 3 million apprenticeship starts in England 47% 45% 3% 0% 5% by 2020 Enabling progression into Higher and 39% 43% 10% 4% 4% Degree Apprenticeships Increasing the proportion of apprentices 30% 45% 9% 1% 15% from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds Addressing skill gaps within nationally 30% 42% 16% 4% 8% important industrial sectors / occupations Supporting those with learning difficulties 28% 39% 17% 2% 14% and disabilities onto apprenticeships Enabling social mobility 27% 44% 16% 3% 10% Ensuring apprentices develop new 26% 41% 21% 5% 7% vocational skills they do not already possess Ensuring apprenticeships are high quality 23% 41% 24% 5% 7% Increasing the completion rate of 22% 41% 22% 5% 10% apprenticeships Membership survey. Base: 113
VIEWS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF A NATIONAL YAAN FROM QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS Members and stakeholders mentioned a series of potential benefits of a national YAAN including supporting access to the local network, supporting and strengthening perceptions of local YAANs and providing national level promotion of apprenticeships as a whole.
Supporting local activity Firstly, some stakeholders and members said a national YAAN could facilitate a single point of access to local activity via an economy of scale for promotional / marketing activity. This reflects the need of a national YAAN to engage and align with multiple stakeholders and the strong steer from the survey work towards promotional activity. Acting as a single point of access is especially important for larger businesses that operate across existing local YAAN or LAAN boundaries.
The projected national model would operate a three-tier model. A national network would work in partnership with regional units who, in turn, would support local networks that would address the desire of stakeholders and members to have clear lines of communication.
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I want one person to talk to. … Now clearly, if you’re a smaller business and you’re working with a local provider, fantastic, that’s probably what you need, but lots of us are big companies, who have multiple sites around the country. It is a convenience thing of consistency of approach Employer
Similarly, one stakeholder noted feedback they had received from schools about the difficulties they face in knowing who to contact about apprenticeships. The wider further education landscape of which apprenticeships are part is one in which numerous different government and non-government entities operate. This was described as confusing for some schools.
One of the reasons that schools say that they don't [run sessions on apprenticeships] is because it’s too complicated and there are too many people and they don't know which is the right one to contact. Stakeholder
Whether a national YAAN should be such a body is a separate question. The remit of the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) is to “work in partnership with schools, colleges, employers and youth organisations to create opportunity for all young people22.”
Representatives from CEC kindly agreed to take part in the study and to be cited for this study. They described their operational model for direct work with schools23. CEC operates a coordinated network managed at a local level but with access to wider national support. The vision for YAAN’s is not to replicate this network, as that would be a waste of resource and effort.
The roles of CEC’s coordinators and advisors are wholly different. Coordinators are individuals who liaise with schools, colleges, employers and other organisations to arrange and develop activity. Advisors offer strategic advice and business planning, including an audit of what does and does not currently work in relation to advice on specific sectors of the economy. The role of the advisor (forty per cent of whom are described as Managing Directors, CEOs or Chairs) is support, coach and advise teachers.
Our model works because our enterprise co-ordinators work with clusters of twenty schools… [Depending on geography] one enterprise coordinator can look after a cluster of schools within one local authority… enterprise coordinators are the ones
22 Header line in the CEC website. https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/ 23 Noting that CEC do not solely work with schools
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coordinating the activities, recruiting the schools and matching them with the enterprise advisors. CEC Representative
CEC helpfully stated their position on the strongest selling point of a YAAN; the ambassadorial role itself. In the view of CEC, one of the most powerful aspects of young ambassadors is their ability to make a genuine connection with young people and inspire them to think about apprenticeships. The advocacy of peers was described as a key selling point of YAAN’s and hence the key role of a national YAAN is to maximise the benefit derived from connecting young ambassadors to potential apprentices. A YAAN is therefore complementary to the work of the CEC.
Young people want to hear from people who look like them, sound like them and were them three years ago, and it comes back to really explaining…,You don’t understand what people do from a text book. You understand what people do from talking to people and listening to them and asking them questions… and to be able to have those apprentices to talk to and to understand why they made the decisions they did and what it’s meant for them. CEC Representative
Supporting and influencing perceptions of YAANs Several members and stakeholders said a national YAAN could help create a credible brand that could provide a stronger foundation for the activity of local YAANs. Such branding would help local YAANs to understand that “they were part of something bigger”. A national YAAN could be a champion of local activity, identify and promote good practice where it is found and influence other national bodies through advocacy activity. As with the concept of providing a single point of access, some members and stakeholders think a stronger brand would help increase engagement with schools.
Having a central organisation recognised by the DfE as being the young ambassadors’ network, I think would make it simpler for the schools that are keen and remove the excuse for the schools that aren’t. Stakeholder
Other interviewees thought that a national body could support local YAANs by creating central resources such as marketing collateral, best practice guides to being an ambassador, data and templates for presentations and materials / guidance on setting up networks. This would help to ensure that consistent messages were being shared across all YAANs and help to reduce time pressures on YAAN members in development and network management activity.
I think it would be fabulous to have a suite of resources… If there was something that was kept nationally that was… also kept up-to-date… So rather than 37 LEPs or however many networks there are, we’re all beavering away, like keeping their presentations up to speed and looking good, and great photos. I mean, it’s all that
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money that’s being spent on creating these things. We’re actually just having these resources all tied up under one national pot. We’d save so much time and effort, and if it was kept up-to-date, then obviously that wouldn’t be a concern locally anyway. YAAN Member
National promotion and advocacy of apprenticeships An overarching role suggested by some members and stakeholders is that of increasing the visibility of apprenticeships at the macro-level. For these interviewees, the focus should be on increasing wider awareness amongst the young, their parents and schools by supporting young apprentice ambassadors to share their experiences, thereby providing a focused voice. One stakeholder states “I think [the role of a national YAAN is] making sure that every year nine hears about apprenticeships”.
This point fits neatly with the key message from Table 6; that a national YAAN can promote general awareness of apprenticeships amongst young people in schools. However, it arguably crosses over with the role of the National Apprenticeship Service and may work counter the earlier observation that some schools may already struggle to engage with apprenticeship information, advice and guidance services because of the number of organisations operating in this sphere. From the perspective of the Careers and Enterprise Company, the role of YAANs is specifically to contribute to wider promotional work. Young apprentices are the best advocates and influencers of other young peoples’ views. This view is strongly supported by the evidence in this report. YAANs fill an important direct communication roles to young people within a wider suite of coordinated activity.
Some also suggested a focus on influencing government departments using young ambassadors as a collective voice could also be part of a national YAAN’s role, to help effect positive change and increase awareness of apprenticeships. For example, one stakeholder noted that Ofsted assessment criteria includes the quality of guidance for next steps for pupils. Using young people to make a case to government departments may effective.
I think the young people's voice, particularly in feeding back to Ofsted, and the challenges of raising awareness amongst young people of opportunities… is crucial to the young ambassadors' role. I think lobbying is really essential, so having political opportunities to speak to all of the agencies … would be really useful. Stakeholder
A national YAANs development priorities
Members said that promotional and support activity were the key priorities in developing a national YAAN (Figure 18). Members stated the three top priorities were to efficiently promote the network (22%), to develop support structures for ambassadors (17%), and encourage wider participation amongst apprenticeship candidates (17%). Stakeholders
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selected the same top two options; 15 of 22 placed to efficiently promote the network in their top three and 10 chose encourage wider participation amongst apprenticeship candidates. However, stakeholders did appear to think more strategically, as the third most frequently selected option was identifying and designing network impact measures (9 of 22) followed by establishing the network’s unique selling point and creating a self- sustaining network (both 8 of 22).
Figure 18: What should be the top three priorities during the development phase of the national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network?
Membership survey. Base: 113
PROMOTIONAL AND SUPPORT ACTIVITY The promotional aspects of a national YAAN are reinforced by the level of agreement towards set statements about priorities. Nearly all members (97%) agreed24 with these two statements:
A national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network would help to provide a consistent, up-to-date message about apprenticeships to local networks; and
The apprenticeship brand would be strengthened by developing a national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network.
Furthermore, more than seven in ten (72%) strongly agree with both of these statements.
24 Using a four point Likert scale. An aggregate “Agree” measure comprises strongly agree and tend to agree; an aggregate “Disagree” measure comprises strongly disagree and tend to disagree.
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QUALITY ASSURANCE Although quality assurance of the ambassadorial offer comes bottom of the list of priorities listed in Figure 18, members do not view this as unimportant. Over nine in ten (93%) respondents agreed25 with the statement that a national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network could provide valuable support in assuring the quality of local young apprenticeship ambassadorial activity; nearly three in five (58%) “strongly agreed”.
Some participants in the qualitative interviews said a national YAAN could work to standardisation of operations to ensure coherence of delivery at the local and regional level. A national YAAN could also work to address the variation in the coverage and activity of existing local YAANs. These interviewees highlight the need for a ‘blanket approach’ to cover the whole country and ensure a consistent message. Hence the priority should be, as underlined by an interviewee, to ensure that…
… It’s consistent, it’s joined up, it’s across the whole of the nation, and you shouldn’t end up with any part of the country getting left out. Stakeholder
However, there is a note of caution here from some other members and stakeholders taking part in the qualitative interviews. It is clear from the differential delivery between different local YAANs that some are very good at organising, delivering and promoting apprenticeships through their ambassador network. There is some concern that a national YAAN may exert too much or poorly targeted control over local operations, limiting their impact and value.
For members and stakeholders, the issue with differential coverage is the resulting inequality of opportunities for young people across the country to hear about the options open to them after school. A national YAAN can help optimise the geographical coverage of local networks and remove ‘cold spots’ of ambassadorial activity. In addition, a national YAAN could ensure that young people hear from young apprentice ambassadors at different apprenticeship levels and from a variety of employers.
SOCIAL INCLUSION AND SOCIAL MOBILITY Figure 18 shows a different level of priority during the development phase placed in encouraging wider participation amongst apprenticeship candidates (17%) compared to devising a network that improves social mobility (3%). The qualitative interviews help to explain this difference. There was an agreement amongst members and stakeholders that diversity and inclusion are important. One stakeholder explained “by nature of where the apprentices are, and where they live, you are going to get a diverse group of young people coming forward”. The interviewees expressed the need for clear and undiscriminating terms of reference, for an open and transparent recruitment process and for fair
25 Using a four point Likert scale. An aggregate “Agree” measure comprises strongly agree and tend to agree; an aggregate “Disagree” measure comprises strongly disagree and tend to disagree.
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assessment so that inclusion is achieved regardless of anyone’s ethnicity, gender (including challenging gender stereotyping in apprenticeship roles), sexuality, and physical ability. One interviewee emphasised that a national YAAN is better placed to set terms of reference and guidance than regional or local networks because that would deliver a consistent approach
The need to promote diversity and inclusion would feed into the role of the national YAAN as a central data hub collecting and monitoring information about apprenticeships on a national scale. By providing both the information and the tools necessary to address any issues, this would enable the network to identify and target low participation from specific social groups. Therefore, stakeholders in particular place importance in widening participation at a national level that, in turn, leads to social inclusion i.e. social inclusion is an emergent property of widening participation activity and may take some time to realise. This makes it harder to visualise social inclusion as a developmental priority for local networks.
A SELF-SUSTAINING NETWORK? Figure 18 showed that fewer than one in ten (9%) felt creating a self-sustaining network was a top three development priority for a national YAAN. Members were also asked whether they agreed the statement, it is likely that a national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network could become financially-self-sustaining in the medium term. Responses were mixed. More than half (56%) agreed, although fewer than one in five (18%) strongly agreed; more than two in five (42%) disagreed.
However, several depth interviewees highlighted the level of resource required in managing their local networks. Without members taking accountability for network activities things can easily slip, but this requires time and effort, which is difficult when members also have their employment to consider. A couple of interviewees felt that a national network would possibly need a full-time “secretariat” to ensure its success, although this would need to work within the three-tier National | Regional | Local administrative structure.
In relation to resource, YAAN members also reported the importance of getting their employer’s buy-in to ensure they could be released from work to carry out their ambassadorial duties. Reimbursement of travel and subsistence was also an issue that was raised on several occasions and when designing a national network, these are issues that members and stakeholders think will need some careful consideration.
How a national YAAN works with local YAANs
In the survey, members were asked the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements about the operational parameters of a National YAAN. All but three of the 113 respondents agreed that Local Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Networks should operate as closely as possible with existing Employer Apprenticeship Ambassador
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Networks; three in five members (61%) strongly agreed with this statement. There was also overall, if less forceful agreement that A national Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network would be well-placed to provide strategic advice to local, regional and sectoral Networks (85% agree of which 41% strongly agree).
In the view of most members and stakeholders who took part in the qualitative research, the role of a national YAAN should centre on supporting local YAANs, coordinating some regional / national activities, providing a loose structural framework for developing new networks and offering national leadership. A national structure could also set clear and measurable performance targets for local networks and regions, promote and disseminate best practice, and facilitate quality assurance. In terms of the governance structure, one interviewee states that this needs to be:
Something light touch but a standard way of working so that if you are working with a local ambassador network, you know what you can expect from them, and what their tasks and priorities are. Stakeholder
Thus the terms of reference need to be clear, to establish and delineate the modus operandi. Some interviewees have suggested that the national YAAN is set up in parallel to regional ambassador networks to increase the efficiency of local YAANs and achieve operational synergy in promoting apprenticeships locally and nationally. As such, a national YAAN working through regional structures could link and coordinate the activities of local YAANs with those of existing organisations promoting apprenticeships at the local or regional level. Some interviewees highlight that, since all ambassador networks are aiming to achieve the same goal, they should all receive the same information, have a shared agenda, share resources and reinforce each other. One interviewee explains that:
They should all be interlinked. Everybody should know what they're all doing. It's no good having them all doing something different. They should all be branded the same, all be logoed up the same, everything should become the same way. YAAN Member
Figure 19 illustrates one way to conceptualise the relationship between national, regional and local structures. The key principle below is the supporting foundation that could be provided by a national network working through regional structures. Local activity is placed at the top of the illustration on purpose, as the existing networks deliver the central services. The diagram also shows that local structures will differ within regions (however regions are defined). For example, Region A is supporting two networks in which a LAAN is coterminous with a YAAN, plus a standalone YAAN. Region B has one of each, and Region C has two standalone YAANs and a coterminous LAAN/YAAN.
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Figure 19: Possible regional and national support structure for local activity
As local networks reflect local needs, regional structures become an important tool in directing central support activity. For example, a national YAAN can liaise with a number of national bodies and agencies with a stake in apprenticeships. However, not all of those agencies with be relevant to local networks. Regional structures are better placed to mediate the needs of the local networks they support because they are able to better understand the prevailing socio-economic conditions in the area than a national structure.
A national YAAN’s key organisational relationships
Earlier in the report, the importance placed by local network on relationships with other organisations was discussed (Figure 15, Figure 16, Table 5). A reasonable inference can be made that many of the same organisations featuring earlier would be important to a national YAAN if one of the central purposes of a national structure is to promote and support the work of local networks through supporting regional structures.
Within the qualitative phase of the study, interviewees highlighted that the key customers of a national YAAN should reflect the need for macro-level engagement but also the need to align with multiple stakeholders. As such, these include the national level representative bodies and training providers to LEPs, government departments and schools listed earlier.
Specific additions to this list include Association of Colleges, other bodies that represent schools, and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). However, employers should be key customers of a national YAAN, as one interviewee explains that
Ultimately, it’s the employers, who are providing young people, providing the champions with time and resource to be champions to some end, and the end is to
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increase the flow of talent into apprenticeships, making them more attractive to young people. Stakeholder
Moreover, interviewees emphasised the importance of schools and colleges as key gatekeepers to young people.
The interviewees have also highlighted the opportunity for macro-level engagement through major conferences and big events organised by organisations with a national reach such as the FSB, but also the opportunity to engage with young people and parents directly through relevant national events, such as World Skills/The Skills Show, which ensure a large presence of the targeted audience. When interviewed, the Careers and Enterprise Company also noted the success of the World Skills and Skills Ambassadors26 in promoting apprenticeship in the UK.
One further consideration is inter-apprentice methods for communicating. One of the ideal emergent properties of local networks are systems where young people begin to self- organising their own support structures. A good example of this is The Apprentice Hub27 (operated out of the West Midlands). This shows a simply constructed website can create and effective tool for communication to young people moderated by young apprentices.
Challenges facing a national YAAN
Notwithstanding the purpose and benefits of a national YAAN, there are a number of challenges facing its formation, operation and success in promoting apprenticeships to young people.
EXTERNAL CHALLENGES There are two key challenges emanating from the external environment. First, some members and stakeholders highlighted that schools lack the incentive, and are often reluctant, to engage with existing YAANs. On the one hand, schools are incentivised to keep young people on due to the metric they use to measure their performance, namely percentage of conversion into university places. As such, they are reluctant to lose their pupils at the age of 16. On the other hand, teachers often lack sufficient understanding of apprenticeships and are guided by the perception that university degrees secure higher professional positions and salaries28. These are perennial problems and have been
26 https://www.worldskills.org/what/promoting-skills/ambassadors/ 27 http://apprenticehub.org 28 The school advisors taking part in the survey were fairly well informed about apprenticeships as nine in ten said they knew at least a fair amount. However, the sample of schools was derived in part from apprenticeship stakeholder lists
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highlighted in prior opinion research. For example, Demos polling research finds that “most parents think that apprenticeships are valuable, but not for their own children”). 29
Secondly, some report a negative perception of, and a stigma attached to, apprenticeships among parents and teachers. Some interviewees said there is a perception amongst parents that apprenticeships are routes into careers for less-able young people, especially compared to higher education. Therefore, a decision to pursue an apprenticeship may still lie with the parents.
I think one of the biggest challenges we’ve got is with parents, because they want the best for their kids, and if they believe that apprenticeships are second class … A lot of our apprentices say, ‘It was really tough, I had to tell mum and dad I really wanted to do this’, and they pushed and pushed. Stakeholder
This problem when applied to a national YAAN is therefore no different from that faced already by other organisations that advocate and support apprenticeships.
OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES Apart from external challenges, a national YAAN would also face a number of operational challenges. First, safeguarding was highlighted as a very important issue, more specifically the need to ensure that young apprentice ambassadors are able to manage themselves, keep themselves organised and administrate their duties.
There are potentially safeguarding issues and all kinds of issues around working with children and young people, that need to be monitored and checked, if they're going to be going out and representing a government programme. Stakeholder
A national YAAN could potentially build relationships with existing organisations with experience in safeguarding issues such as the Safer Activities For Everyone Community Interest Company30, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust31 or the NSPCC32.
Second, there is a need to ensure that ambassadors are equipped with the set of skills and knowledge necessary to carry out their role. By definition, ambassadors need to communicate in a positive way, explain their role, think on their feet in response to questions, project a positive and friendly outlook, etc. The communications and media skills set they need is varied and advanced for those with little in the way of presenting experience. They also need to be self-aware and resilient to the environment they are in.
29 Demos (2015) The Commission on Apprenticeships. https://www.demos.co.uk/files/476_1504_CoA_WEB_2_.pdf?1425489134 30 http://www.safecic.co.uk 31 https://www.suzylamplugh.org/Pages/Category/personal-safety-training 32 https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
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The complexity of the role is explained by one member below and suggests a role that should not be entered into lightly:
I think media training, understanding how to present themselves, how to put their image online, social media and online safeguarding, making sure that you're not putting young people in a vulnerable position by putting all their information online, putting them online and making them a target for any kind of online bullying. Also, making sure that they fully understand the ins and outs of the government processes around apprenticeships, and what that means, so that if they're asked any tricky questions, they feel able to respond, or know who to signpost onto. YAAN Member
The interviewees emphasised that providing high quality and regular training will enhance ambassadors’ ability to inspire young people, while at the same time contributing to their personal development.
Third, the interviewees underlined that supporting local YAANs recruitment activity for ambassadors and wider employer members will be a key challenge to ensuring the continuity and success of the national YAAN. This is especially the case in locations where existing network coverage is limited. One of the stakeholders emphasises that “[the ESFA’s] biggest challenge is going to be initial recruitment”, as this will impact directly on representativeness and geographical coverage. In addition, to ensure continuity, members and stakeholders think administrative resource will be required to facilitate the coordination of existing ambassadors as well as the integration of new ones. Specifically, there is a natural limit in the amount of administrative and developmental work that a primarily voluntary network can achieve.
The intimation from these findings is that a national YAAN will have some responsibility for recruiting and managing young ambassadors. Such a role is not earmarked for a national body because that would diminish the impact and effectiveness of local YAANs. Some national provision for materials and guidance that illustrate best practice in developing and managing local YAANs could be very beneficial, though.
Fourth, a key challenge will be gaining both ambassadors’ and their employers’ commitment. As emphasised by one YANN member; “the individual and the employer need to be committed to help make that national YAAN work, otherwise it’s going to be fragmented and that’s not going to help at a national level”. In section 3, the role of impact of a committed membership was noted as central to the development on local networks.
Members and stakeholders think gaining employers’ commitment will be particularly important, especially in the case of smaller businesses where time and resources are scarce. As one stakeholder highlights:
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I think one of the issues would be – and it’s something that we find when we’re doing our policy work with apprentices – that apprentices from smaller employers find it more difficult to get time out, which is a particular difficulty. Stakeholder
Thus, as one stakeholder explained, the issue is that “having six people in the business as opposed to 600, that one person not being there for a day just makes a bigger difference”. Failure to gain the commitment of small businesses will negatively affect representation on the network. One interviewee notes the economy of scale operated by larger businesses allows them to operate support services such as networks which are too onerous for smaller employers. Some consideration could be taken at a national level regarding how smaller businesses can be supported by their local YAAN.
There is also the need to recognise that most the ambassadors and staff managing ambassadors are volunteering their time and effort outside their main job, or that their role is one of several responsibilities. As one of the interviewees emphasises:
“I think what we’ve got to also remember here is that we are the unpaid sales force and that must always come into the scenario. So, whatever we do, we’re doing to promote apprenticeships on behalf of either the ESFA or the National Apprenticeship Service. So, there becomes a limit as to what you can do in your own spare time” YAAN Member.
Finally, as an implication of the above, there will be a need to ensure minimal funding support to cover costs such as travel expenses. One stakeholder explained “we learnt quite early on that it made a big difference paying travel expenses for apprentices”. Another interviewee highlighted that the value of providing funds to support the activities of ambassador networks is encouraging best practice:
“Where there is investment from either a local enterprise partnership, or investment from the ESFA or other government agency or training provider, then you have best practice” YAAN Member.
One interviewee suggested that each local YAAN should have a budget to cover the travel expenses of their members as well as other activities related to promoting apprenticeships. The need to ensure minimal funding support stems from the fact that, as emphasised by a stakeholder
“Some businesses would be able to afford to let their member of staff go and do that. Other businesses might struggle with that, and you wouldn’t want that to inhibit people
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from getting involved, and that’s just quite a long way to go on your own if you haven’t done that kind of thing before” Stakeholder.
Therefore providing minimal funding support would contribute to ensuring adequate representation of businesses on networks.
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06. Conclusions and recommendations
Conclusions
LAANs and YAANs are reliant on the enthusiasm and goodwill of their members to operate effectively. They operate flexibly, reflecting the needs and culture of the local economy with respect to apprenticeships. Networks operate different structures in response to the demands of membership and the organisational experience of those leading networks. The effectiveness and existence of a network is threatened where the enthusiasm of its members wanes. It is critical that the design and approach of a national YAAN supports and nurtures the energy that exists within the existing networks.
Ambassadors give their time voluntarily by the blessing of their employer. Their time is therefore limited and their role should be prioritised. Although the study is qualitative in nature, there is a strong suggestion that the primary role of an ambassador is promoting apprenticeships to young people in schools. The central purpose of a YAAN is to concentrate first on delivering this goal and to do so well. Other activity is either ancillary to this central purpose (such as promotional work with employers), or an emergent property of effectively delivering the promotional mission in schools; enabling social mobility is an example of one such emergent property.
The overall perception is that a local YAAN is primarily concerned with delivering information about apprenticeships to young people. The central message is that school children need accurate information about the wider options available to them and, at present, there is a skew towards information concerning non-apprenticeship routes. YAANs could be a vital tool in redressing this balance. Evidence of the impact of local networks and ambassadors on their area could provide strong evidence to a national YAAN informing a policy narrative for factors such as social inclusion.
Individually, local networks (YAANs or LAANs) are not well-placed to influence central government structures. For example, it is recognised that some schools are disinclined to provide information to their pupils about apprenticeships. Parliament recognises that action is required to address such inactivity33. A national YAAN could operate on the same geographical level as central government departments and agencies and could act as a voice for local and regional networks.
As local YAANs are primarily concerned with delivering information about apprenticeships to young people, the national agencies best placed to help a national YAAN support this mission are outlined in Figure 20. Two broad support concepts are important based on the evidence supplied by research participants. The first relates to the content and messages young ambassadors deliver to young people. Members and ambassadors state that young
33 Commons Select Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy (2017). Flagship apprenticeships policies will not fill growing skills gap. 31 March 2017. https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmese/206/20602.htm
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people are adept at delivering messages about apprenticeships to young people and are more trusted to do so.
The National Apprenticeships Service has a strong existing brand and profile and are ideally placed to provide materials such as presentation templates, strategic information about apprenticeships, further case studies of successful apprentices, sectoral data, etc. This collateral is of great potential value to local networks.
The National Careers Service holds a large amount of factual data on occupations and training routes and delivers IAG for those interested in training and careers. A national YAAN would be well-placed to work with NCS to see how this data can be interrogated and presented to help young ambassadors in their messaging at a local level. In turn, the wider YAAN network could be well-placed to sign-up young people to NCS services.
Figure 20: The critical partners to a national YAAN
The second support concept concerns access to schools. Many members echo wider concerns that some schools resist providing unbiased information about Apprenticeships to their pupils.
Government legislative progress to ensure young people receive the right sort of advice about all the options open to them is patchy. Whilst the Parliamentary sub- committee welcomes the move to place careers provision co-ordination for all ages under a single Ministerial brief (the Skills Minister), there is a strong recommendations in the most recent report “that the Government sets out its careers strategy as soon as possible. As we said previously, it is urgently needed and must include immediate steps to ensure all young people have access to high quality careers advice.34”
34 Commons Select Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy (2017). Flagship apprenticeships policies will not fill growing skills gap. 31 March 2017. Recommendation #46 https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmese/206/20602.htm
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The Department for Education has the greatest level of influence in this regard and will play a key role in shifting the systemic bias towards higher education routes in some schools.
Finally, the Careers and Enterprise Company has a potentially vital structural role to play in supporting a national network. The CEC remit is closely aligned to the ambassadorial offer, particularly in relation to the focus on supporting local partnership working between schools, colleges, employers and providers. The CEC is building a national network that connects schools and colleges to employers and there is a clear shared purpose between the activities of YAANs, LAANs and CEC’s locally supported networks, especially in relation to activities in schools and colleges.
Recommendations
As an addendum to this work CFE were asked to consider the challenges for the National Apprenticeship Service in implementing a national YAAN and work with the ESFA on recommendations to support this. The following six recommendations resulted.
Be clear on what a YAAN is for The research evidence clearly states that YAAN members have limits on their time due to the primarily voluntary nature of their involvement. It is therefore crucial that their limited time is channelled effectively for maximum impact. The two main foci of activity strongly suggested from testimony are to provide information and inspiration to school pupils.
A core remit should be built around this premise with partners, but in particular the Careers and Enterprise Company, who could provide the prioritised access into schools through their 39 Enterprise co-ordinators.
Implement in partnership A Task and Finish Group should be established to develop and work through an implementation plan to support the launch of a national YAAN. Based on the evidence, many existing YAAN/LAAN members would welcome to chance to inform the design of a national YAAN. Including other national organisations operating in the same policy and delivery space would also help shape the best national network. The national organisations highlighted in the conclusions as well as regional / local bodies such as Local Enterprise Partnerships and/or local authority representatives are well placed to influence and design. . Opportunities for any joint or co funding arrangements should also be explored.
Reflect existing arrangements The overwhelming view from the research was that any local or regional infrastructure should be aligned to the existing LAAN areas because YAANs deliver related activity to a specific audience (young people) that mirrors the overall purpose of any coterminous LAAN. This local focus and purpose strongly suggests that NAS adopt a bottom up
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approach to developing YAAN areas and, in so doing, retain and build on the YAANs already in place.
A national YAAN should also assist particular LAANs/regions to develop local YAANs where geographical gaps exist. A national YAAN can monitor coverage and maintain an up-to-date membership database.
Developing a Terms of Reference A consistent, clear and simple set of Terms of Reference should be developed for the YAAN alongside a simple governance framework that outlines:
1. The formal links to the LAANs and the AAN;
2. How the YAAN Chairs will come together to take the network forward.
The YAAN ToR should:
Incorporate a core purpose and mission; Set out its links to the AAN/LAANs and other key national/local partners; Describe the recruitment/appointment process, including guidance on age and length of appointment; Incorporate core role descriptions YAAN members; and Propose impact measures. Terms of Reference will be used by all networks to ensure consistency of focus on core activity. However, the Terms of Reference must also allow for local flexibility so that YAANs can address the needs of their local economic and educational environment.
NAS support package In order to deliver a sustainable network over the medium to long term, a minimum level of service and support from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is required covering the following;
Identity and, where necessary, develop and provide a set of associated resources and/or collateral that can help YAANs deliver to their agreed remit. These resources should be aligned to the Apprenticeship family and branding. Note that, whilst important, the evidence suggests social media and technological support is less of a priority for the networks than anticipated.
Provide a resource pack/toolkit and an easy to use/access portal for presentations / apprentice case studies, etc. to support networks in the delivery of their core activities.
Provide a rolling learning and development / induction programme, or significant and consistent support for those that wish to run related activity at a regional / local level.
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Give a named NAS contact to each regional network through which communications can be channelled and managed.
Consider a wider range of partners The role of the Careers and Enterprise Company is highlighted as the key partner for networks. There is, however, scope for effective collaboration and communication with a range of other partners and stakeholders within a region. These include regional agents of other government agencies such as Job Centre Plus, STEM Ambassadors, LEPs and Local Authorities and employer groups, agencies, representatives and those operating non-funded YAANs. Central support would be required to help identify local units of wider national bodies that can help deliver YAANs goals. These partnerships should be developed and prioritised within each of the agreed regions.
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ANNEX 1: YAAN case studies
Website http://nw.yaan.org.uk/
Twitter https://twitter.com/nw_yaan
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NW-Young-Apprentice-Ambassador-Network- 1695719854009481/
The NWYAAN is one of the largest, most developed and active YAANs in England. It was the first YAAN to start in England. Ten members of this network contributed to this research by responding to the online survey of YAAN members, and six members took part in a longer telephone interview.
Establishment The network officially launched on 25th February 2016. The network was established in recognition that a younger demographic would be more effective in communicating the benefits of apprenticeships to younger people. This conclusion was drawn after a presentation was given by a couple of younger people at an event about apprenticeships to which very few actual apprentices were present.
We had a little bit of a chat afterwards, and we realised that [attendees at the event were] predominantly middle-aged people. We thought, ‘There’s something a bit wrong about this, because, obviously, it’s an event that’s celebrating apprenticeships and apprentices, and there’s hardly any of us here.’ So we decided to kick this network off with, and we’ve always inspired to work alongside the National Apprenticeship Service, and also the Ambassadors Network, as well, for apprentices. Size The network comprises around 100 members. There are two levels of membership: full members and ambassadors. The membership composition between the two categories fluctuates over time with the ebb and flow of apprentices completing their training. The key
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determinant of membership is commitment to the idea of promoting apprenticeships to others.
We get people that are finishing their apprenticeships, and then we get people that are starting their apprenticeships and want to get involved. It all sprouted from the first launch event where we got eventers together, and then we asked them if they wanted to join, and sign a pledge, and what-have-you, to be involved in the North West YAAN, and that’s where the 100 members came from. Then the board has been moulded around the people that we feel have been more committed to it, and contributed more, which is where the twenty or so board members have come from. Geographical Coverage The network covers the North West region including counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.
Governance NWYAAN has a board comprising 10 members. The board meets quarterly to discuss how the network can grow, evaluate activities undertaken, plan new activities, finding new opportunities, and generally making decisions about the best way forward for the network. The board primarily uses email and WhatsApp to communicate between themselves, and utilise Google Drive for sharing documents. A rota organises who does the agenda for board meetings.
Members receive monthly updates in the form of a newsletter from the board about what is happening in the network. All members have contact details for board members so they can ask questions and provide feedback.
Website, Social Media Presence NWYAAN has a branded online presence that includes a blog, a Twitter feed and links to external sites. Both the website and social media are up-to-date and feature regular new articles that document the network’s activity. In a video hosted on the UKFast website, one member of the NWYAAN talks about the redesign of the network’s logo and the development of its website. NWYAAN also appears on other organisations’ websites, e.g. Lancashire LEP with an article that promotes the local network, and the National Skills Academy which features a NWYAAN board member who was awarded UK Nuclear Apprentice of the Year 2017.
Recent Activity The first North West YAAN conference was held at the UKFast Campus, Manchester – the same event at which the network was officially launched35.
35 A short video documents this event: https://youtu.be/jGhCdLDj4y4
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Challenges Whilst members described how well the network is working, and how it finds little trouble in generating new ideas, one of the challenges it faces is translating those ideas into practice, mainly due to responsibilities and commitments to work, which means that it can be a struggle to get things completed in time. For example:
Getting all [members] together can be challenging [as] we all have a day job, and that will come first… Money, to hold events and things like that, has been another massive challenge. A lot of [the Launch] was funded by a number of our employers [and] I think a lot of it was donations. However, members also described how these challenges had been alleviated through the support of the NAS and the SFA.
Support NWYAAN members felt that the support they had received from various local and national organisations was critical to their success. In this case, support covers financing, information on events, training and commitment from employers to release members for network activity.
Impact Members’ give a number of reasons to explain why they want to be involved. Some wish to redress the lack of information and guidance they were given when making post-school choices. These members typically value the impact an apprenticeship has had on them and want to act as advocates to others.
My story is that I didn’t have any idea about the opportunity with apprenticeships, until my mum convinced me to go along and just give it a try, and it’s been the most fantastic experience. […] I’ve gained so much from it. I’d like to say that I’m ahead from my mates that have gone to university, and have now got all their student debt.
Another founding board member described the kinds of skills they developed by being involved in the network’s governance and the value of these skills for subsequent careers:
…being on a board is amazing. You get some very good managerial skills being on that and good skills in knowing, like, as silly as it sounds, but how to have a debate without being unprofessional. Potential to Work with National Network All NWYAAN members that we interviewed could see the potential for a new national network and were keen to get involved. Members felt the key benefits of a national network were the potential for collaborative working with a diverse national membership base, increasing the collective power of committed apprentices to achieve goals that are more challenging and creating stronger, nationally consistent messages about the value and benefits of apprenticeships.
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We need something for people to aspire to, and inspire as well. I want it to be a prestigious thing to be part of YAAN. I want people to write it on their Reward applications, or on their CVs… I want it to grow.
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North East YAAN
The NEYAAN is at an earlier stage of development than the neighbouring YAAN in the North West. Four members of this YAAN were interviewed as part of the research, in addition to another four members of the Local Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (LAAN).
Establishment NEYAAN was developed as an offshoot of the North East LAAN, when two members took the initiative to set up a network focused on young people that offered more than presenting in schools and colleges. They began work in the middle of 2016 and benefited greatly from sharing experiences with members of the North West YAAN. In particular, the discussions with the North West was helpful in guiding the two NE members in the important activities and pitfalls in creating a network.
Size The network currently comprises of twenty members. The size of the network is limited by the time available to manage it for the two organising members because network management has to fit around their employment. However, there is no theoretical limit to the size of a network.
Geographical Coverage North East region, from border with Scotland down to the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Governance The two NEYAAN board members also serve of the board of the North East LAAN. The YAAN is managed as a sub-group of the LAAN with a remit to manage activities focused on younger people. As such, YAAN activities mirror those of the LAAN but are focussed on a different target audience. As a result, activities, marketing and communications are tailored for younger people. The two YAAN board members work with and are supported by members of the LAAN board.
[The YAAN is] about getting into schools, career events, [to] target young people… thinking about the apprenticeship route [and] potentially even a little bit younger. [The purpose is] to try and get them thinking that actually you don’t have to do college, university, that there are other options out there… The Ambassador Network [LAAN] is maybe aimed more at employers and trying to get [them] to take on more apprentices. Website, Social Media Presence NEYAAN does not yet have a website. It has Facebook36 and Twitter37 pages branded with the NAS logo with links to the national apprentice website. The Facebook page is not
36 https://en-gb.facebook.com/NEYAAN/ 37 https://twitter.com/northeastyaan
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updated and no direct contact details are provided for either of the two YAAN board members. The Twitter page is also rarely used with four tweets sent since July 2016.
These are not criticisms of the North East network. Rather, they reflect the amount of time required to manage the network and any associated support work, which needs to fit around the primary purpose of a YAAN (advocating apprenticeships to young people) and employment commitments.
Recent Activity Most activity in this YAAN is still work-in-progress. NEYAAN developed a directory of apprentice ambassadors, comprising photos of ambassadors, information about their apprenticeships, and contact details.
Two members of NEYAAN were part of a visit to Westminster, along with members of NWYAAN, where they met with Robert Halfon MP to discuss how apprenticeships could be improved.
Challenges One of the founding members describes some of the challenges in establishing a YAAN, and in ensuring that it works in concert with other local networks. One of the central issues is the breadth of potential activity to which YAANs could contribute given the level of resources available to manage the network. An ideal situation would see more time available for members to:
Coordinate the network. This means managing the activities and potential visits ambassadors could fulfil, as well as influencing employers to release apprentices to take part in ambassadorial activity.
Funding. This includes the provision of expenses to account for travel related to ambassadorial activity.
Marketing collateral and literature. The current constraints on time for updating the Facebook and Twitter pages are a good case in point here. Further support in providing suitable literature to distribute to young people during visits would also be helpful in promoting the central messages.
This makes it challenging to set distinct, achievable goals. Members are enthusiastic and keen to develop their networks, but the want to be able channel and direct that enthusiasm. Member identify a need for more employers to be part of the network to help drive the activity and spread around some of the management and development of the YAAN.
74 ANNEX 1: YAAN case studies | Developing a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
[The network] needs to be employer-led. It’s like the employer network, the agency provides us support, but ultimately we need employers to drive them. Support NEYAAN sought support in setting up from the neighbouring North West YAAN. The nature of the support was training and coaching young apprentices to deliver presentations to target audiences. This support is practical and concerns delivering advocacy, which is viewed as the central reason for the YAAN. The network is successfully fulfilling this role.
When we initially got running, we had about twelve new apprentices that had been put forward from [the LAAN]… we did some training to develop some PowerPoint presentations, so that they had a bit of structure going out into career events and schools or wherever they were asked to go and tell their stories. It was quite daunting [for them] to go into new environments when you’re a young apprentice to tell your story without the guidance. NEYAAN also received valuable support in establishing the network from the LAAN and from other agencies such as NAS. These organisations provided advice and guidance on setting up the network and made introductions with colleagues from the North West. :
[We worked with someone from] the North-East Apprenticeship Service. She helped us set up the meeting with the North-West, just to go and pick their brains, how did they start, how did they approach their apprentices, what were their aims, what were their goals, how often did they have meetings, all of those ideas that we had. Potential to Work with National Network Most NEYAAN members were supportive of the idea of a national YAAN. Members talked about various ways in which it could support their regional YAAN, including having an influencing role, supporting dissemination of information, and offering training opportunities. One member said that it was important to get regional networks established first, in order to be able to coordinate their activity and support them effectively. One potentially useful aspect of a national YAAN would be in sharing good practice between regional YAANs:
The main priority was identified as raising awareness of apprenticeships and promoting their benefits in order to raise participation. A member of the NEAAN said that ‘selling’ the idea of apprenticeships would not be a particularly big challenge for this region:
I think it will send the message out that there are benefits for apprenticeships. It isn't a hard sell in the North East, I think that people recognise that apprenticeships are an alternative to going to university.
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