Need an extra pair of hands?
SkillsActive can explain how little an apprentice could cost.
Want to train your current staff?
SkillsActive can help you find out how much funding can be accessed for training.
The key benefit of working with SkillsActive is access to our Funding Eligibility Service. This allows you to quickly and simply discover how much you could save on staff training through Apprenticeship funding. Staff just need to complete a simple online form and SkillsActive’s GTA will contact you to discuss what funded training options could be available.
Register to access the Funding Eligibility form now >
Additional benefits which members of IOU may be able to access if they register with SkillsActive include:
Discounted activepassports
Statutory training offers, including discounted courses and a free advice and guidance service
Discounts on e-learning courses and packages
Register your interest in discovering more >
SkillsActive’s GTA aims to support you with accessing the training and support that is most relevant to your work.
View our approved provider catalogue to search for quality training opportunities >
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SkillsActive's GTA has received co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills through the Growth and Innovation Fund
7/2/12
SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for Sport and Active Leisure, issued 9,342 Apprenticeship certificates in the year ending September 2011- up from 1,271 in 2006.
SkillsActive interim CEO Suki Kalirai says the figures show more employers in sport, fitness, caravans, playwork and the outdoors are realising the value of Apprenticeships.
“By using Apprenticeships to train new and existing staff, these employers are reducing business costs, investing in their future workforce and helping alleviate the nation’s unemployment crisis.”
Fit for Sport training manager Jack Shakespeare says 15% of the organisation’s 70 permanent staff train through Apprenticeship programmes; by 2013, he expects that figure to reach 50 per cent.
“Apprenticeships are, in our experience, the most successful way to recruit, develop and retain effective employees,” Jack says. “We are using Apprenticeship programmes to build a well-trained, motivated and loyal workforce which will help us grow and develop our business.”
Outdoor education provider PGL has 180 apprentices across its operations in the UK and France.
PGL Apprenticeship programme manager, Jo Mortimer says: “Apprenticeships are a cost-effective way to provide staff who may not have travelled the academic route with the skills and qualifications we require. Many of our apprentices have developed their management skills and gone on to work at higher levels within the business.”
Apprenticeships are a package of on-the-job training and qualifications which take between one and four years to complete. There are 13 Apprenticeship frameworks available in the sport and active leisure sector in England, covering job roles as diverse as activity leadership, playwork and spectator safety. SkillsActive has designed each framework in consultation with sector employers, to ensure they provide the skills businesses need.
Suki explains that Apprenticeship programmes are not just suited to large employers; small and medium sized businesses now have the opportunity to access funded training through SkillsActive’s Group Training Association.
“Our Group Training Association enables employers running small to medium enterprises to group together and access funded training that would otherwise be out of their reach. This training is delivered through SkillsActive’s network of approved National Skills Academy training providers.
“I encourage all employers, whatever their size, to talk to one of our account managers about how Apprenticeships could work for them.”
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2012, SkillsActive is offering a FREE training package to the first 25 employers to register their interest in Apprenticeship funding on our website.
To learn more about Apprenticeships in the sport and active leisure sector, and how your business can benefit, please visit www.skillsactive.com/takethelead
SkillsActive issues Apprenticeship frameworks, which outline the minimum requirements needed to complete the Apprenticeship at each level and for each occupation. We also provide certification for apprentices in England and Wales.
If you are a training provider in England or Wales and you would like to deliver government funded Apprenticeships, you need to hold a contract with the Skills Funding Agency.
Training providers in Scotland need to hold a contract with Skills Development Scotland. Training providers in Northern Ireland need to hold a contract with the Department for Employment and Learning.
To gain a contract, you must meet certain requirements, such as minimum contracting value. If you do not meet the minimum contracting value, you can enter into a subcontracting arrangement with a larger training provider. If you are a training provider in England, one way to do this is by joining SkillsActive’s Group Training Association.
To find out more about the Group Training Association email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Only training providers in Scotland need to register with SkillsActive to deliver Apprenticeships.
To register as a training provider with SkillsActive Scotland, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
There’s a wide variety of Apprenticeships available in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Select a country below to learn more about the types of Apprenticeships available in your area.
SkillsActive has worked with employers and training providers to develop a set of Apprenticeship frameworks. These outline the minimum requirements apprentices need to complete the apprenticeship at each level and for each occupation. You can then work with your employer and apprentice to identify the most suitable framework for their needs.
Learn more about the Apprenticeship frameworks available in your country by viewing Frameworks and Guidance.
At the end of their Apprenticeship, all apprentices need a certificate to show they have fulfilled the Apprenticeship requirements.
In England, Wales and Scotland, certificates are issued by SkillsActive. In Northern Ireland, they are issued by the Department for Employment and Learning.
Apprentices can apply for their own certificate or authorise their training provider to apply for one on their behalf.
England
A new certification service run by the Alliance has been developed and is known as Apprenticeship Certificates England (ACE). Apprentices, learning providers or employers who act on their behalf, will be able to request Apprenticeship certificates using the ACE online system. ACE provides a unique centralised certification system that will save Sector Skills Councils / Sector Skills Bodies (SSCs/SSBs), providers and certifying authorities valuable time, resource and investment and will allow them to track the progress of apprenticeship candidates. The system was officially launched on Wednesday 25 January 2012 by John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning.
You will need to register your organisation on the system via the online registration form; this can be done by going to www.acecerts.co.uk and completing the information and contact details. Once you have completed this process you will be emailed a username and password for ACE. This will be your "administrator" account which you can then use to create additional accounts for your centre. You will be able to create a maximum of 5 additional users.
The user guide that has been created for centres to help you use the system and also further e-learning materials can be found on www.acecerts.co.uk/tutorials.
The cost of certificates will be £22.
Should you have any questions relating to the new online system, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Apprentice Authorization Form England (mandatory to complete for all framework claims via the ACE system)
Wales
This certificate is for apprentices completing their programme in Wales.
Certification Request Form Wales
Scotland
To request a certificate in Scotland, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Northern Ireland
These are issued by the Department for Employment and Learning.
Keep track of your apprentice’s training with an activepassport™
activepassportTM is an auditable online tool that will help you track and record an individual’s Guided Learning Hours - a statutory requirement of the new frameworks in England and Wales.
If you’re a training provider, activepassport™ can:
Learn more about activepassport™ >
Our consultants can provide you with detailed information about delivering Apprenticeship training, or developing frameworks to suit businesses in your area.
To find out more, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Find out about Apprenticeship framework updates and other news relevant to Apprenticeships.
The Mayor’s Sports Legacy Fund, delivered by SkillsActive’s National Skills Academy, provides London volunteers with up to 75% off training to deliver a sporting legacy from the 2012 Games.
The annual Nancy Ovens Bursary, sponsored by SkillsActive, provides paid or voluntary coaches and leaders in the sector with up to £2,000 in innovative training to improve skills.
The Yorkshire and Humber Coaching Bursary, delivered by SkillsActive’s National Skills Academy, provides 60% off UKCC coaching qualifications for new and existing coaches. It is funded by Sport England Yorkshire.
SkillsActive’s Joint Investment Programme helps meet specific skills gaps in the fitness and playwork sectors using training jointly funded by the Government and employers.
SkillsActive’s Group Training Association enables small to medium sized employers to develop existing employees and recruit and train new personnel, primarily through Apprenticeships.
Activegraduates.com is a free job matching website to help employers find talented, work ready candidates from our pool of successful Future Jobs Fund participants.
Change Gear, delivered by SkillsActive’s National Skills Academy, provides support to those leaving the Armed Forces to ensure they are aware of the opportunities available to them in the sport, fitness, outdoors, playwork and caravans industries.
SkillsActive is working with experts from nine Member States on the Training 4 Volunteers project, which aims to investigate volunteering in sport and broaden ideas about education and training. It is funded by the 2010 Preparatory Action on Sport of the European Commission.
SkillsActive is leading on several projects to help deliver the competent, qualified workforce the UK needs for a successful London 2012 Games and a sustainable increase in sport and leisure participation.
SkillsActive periodically asks for feedback on sector issues to inform the work we do. You can give SkillsActive feedback by post, email or fax before the time specified on the closing date.
Learn more about SkillsActvie's current and past consultations >
SkillsActive has delivered numerous other successful programmes and projects.
Learn more about our Completed Programmes and Projects >
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