The investment will support SkillsActive's work to make sure sports have the right people with appropriate skills to develop their sport at all levels whether club, county or regional level.
The funding into SkillsActive complements the investment Sport England has announced for 46 sports over the next four years to keep the inspiration of London 2012 alive.
Sport England Director of Sport, Phil Smith, said: "Dedicated sports development staff with the right skills and access to training is really important in achieving our goal of getting more people playing sport. We look forward to continuing our work with SkillsActive to help develop the sporting workforce."
The funding will enable SkillsActive to help sports bodies to fill any existing skills gaps of those already working in sport and to help train and prepare the next generation of the sporting workforce.
SkillsActive Chief Executive, Ian Taylor, said: "Sport England's ambition to create a sporting habit for life cannot be achieved without an appropriately skilled workforce. We also know from our position as a licensed Sector Skills Council that there is a direct correlation between training and a sector' s growth and prosperity, with every £1 spent on training having a £20 resultant impact on productivity. We have worked with Sport England over the last two years to secure an extra £21m into NGB sport for learning and development, and we very much look forward to developing this relationship as its 'National Partner for Workforce' further over the legacy period."
The work being undertaken by SkillsActive reflects Sport England commitment to supporting and improving the workforce standards across the whole sport sector.
Stevenage Sporting Futures Team cic supports and provides physical education and sport sessions to schools in Stevenage, which has high youth unemployment (7.9%).
The not for profit organisation has always been strong on recruiting and developing its own workforce from within the community. In 2008, it began employing school leavers in its Partnership Coach programme, which provides 18 year olds with 12 months training and work experience.
Director Jill Eaton says: "We wanted to expand our services and offer the young people of Stevenage a chance to kick-start a career in sport and active leisure".
In 2011, the company went one step further – hiring three 16-24yr olds through the Future Jobs Fund programme delivered by SkillsActive's National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure. Jill says the programme, which provided 5000 young unemployed people within six months training and was a turning point for the company.
"The Future Jobs opened our eyes to the possibility of transforming our own program into an Apprenticeship".
The company joined SkillsActive's Group Training Association, which brings small and medium size employers together so they can access funding opportunities and specific training that would otherwise be out of their reach.
Thanks to the Group Training Association, Stevenage Sporting Futures Team cic received funded training that would otherwise be out of their reach.
The young people follow Apprenticeship frameworks designed by SkillsActive in consultation with employers. They gain nationally recognised qualifications such as an NVQ in Activity Leadership and various NGB Coaching Awards which are all delivered by the company's own training provider: Sporting Futures Training cic.
Jill says Apprenticeships have had a "massive impact" on the business – and the wider community.
"Many schools and community clubs have approached us wanting to retain the apprentice working with them for a second year are keen to develop and create a pathway into employment for them such as teaching sports teaching assistants or into further sporting careers in the sport and active leisure sector."
"Our new workforce has not only enabled more young people to participate in activities, they have provided them with positive role models in their own community. This is of immense value in a community renowned for low aspiration amongst youth."
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
Cornwall Marine Network (CMN) is working with SkillsActive to offer support to small businesses within the outdoors sector.
All CMN members are now part of SkillsActive’s GTA and can choose to access the benefits offered by SkillsActive by registering their details.
The key benefit of working with SkillsActive is access to our Funding Eligibility Service. This allows organisations to quickly and simply discover how much they could save on staff training through Apprenticeship funding. Staff just need to complete a simple online form and CMN will contact you to discuss what funded training options could be available.
Register to access the Cornwall Marine Network Funding Eligibility form now >
Additional benefits which members of Cornwall Marine Network may be able to access if they register with SkillsActive include:
Members of Cornwall Marine Network can also access discounts on activepassport, a verified online record of staff skills and qualifications. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information on how to access these.
Discover more about the benefits of activepassport for your organisation >
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 >
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information on the work of SkillsActive’s GTA.
SkillsActive's GTA has received co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills through the Growth and Innovation Fund.
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.
You can use apprenticeships to train both new and existing employees.
SkillsActive works with active leisure, learning and wellbeing employers to develop Apprenticeships so the training is directly relevant to your industry. We can help you identify which of your staff is eligible for funded training. We can also broker relationships so small and medium sized businesses can access funding normally only available to larger companies.
Register your interest in discovering more about how Apprenticeships could benefit your business >
Apprenticeship funding is available from the Skills Funding Agency in England and Wales, Skills Development Scotland in Scotland, and the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland.
However, the size of the contribution varies depending on your sector and the age of the apprentice.
SkillsActive can help employers in England reduce costs and train more people by identifying which of your staff could be eligible for funded training. Our Funding Eligibility Service is a simple, effective way to improve your business performance by making the most of available funding.
Find out more about the Funding Eligibility Service >
Apprenticeships aren’t just for big businesses - small to medium sized businesses in England can afford to train Apprenticeships through SkillsActive’s Group Training Association (GTA).
The Group Training Association enables employers in England running small to medium enterprises to take on more new staff as apprentices. It does this by creating partnerships between employers so they can access funding and discounts normally only available to bigger companies.
Email the Group Training Association team 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.
Read our Frequently Asked Questions to discover more about Apprenticeships in England >
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, ensuring apprentices develop the skills their employers need.
For information and documents relevant to apprenticeships your country, see Frameworks and Guidance
Find out about Apprenticeship framework updates and other news relevant to Apprenticeships.
To register your interest in offering Apprenticeships at your business email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Register your interest in discovering more about how Apprenticeships could benefit your business >
If you are part of a small or medium sized organisation (SME), you may be able to join a network within SkillsActive's Group Training Association which will ensure that the benefits and discounts available are relevant to your work.
Each network will be based on specific areas within sport and active leisure. By grouping similar employers together in specialised areas, we can help smaller organisations work towards funding opportunities and specific training that would otherwise be out of their reach.
Register your interest in discovering more about opportunities thought the GTA >
Support to access Apprenticeship funding
SkillsActive's GTA networks aim to help small business with accessing funding for training. You may be able to save £1000s on training for your current staff with Apprenticeships or access government grants for wages to take on new staff.
Additional benefits of working within a GTA network include:
For further information or to discuss the potential for new networks, please contact us or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Unsure what Apprenticeships entail and how they could benefit your business? Read more about:
The GTA is delivered through the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure’s approved training provider network.
View our approved provider catalogue to search for quality training opportunities >
SkillsActive's GTA has received co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills through the Growth and Innovation Fund.
SkillsActive - 10/10/11
SkillsActive, the sector skills council for active leisure and learning, has secured more than £450,000 to establish England’s first ever Group Training Association (GTA) for the sector.
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Dr. Vince Cable announced the news as part of his keynote address to the WorldSkills Leaders Forum Programme at London’s Excel on 6 October 2011.
The GTA will enable employers running small to medium enterprises to shape and sustainably invest in their own training delivery. It will principally encourage businesses to take on more new staff as apprentices as well as training their existing workforce by mapping a clear pathway for training and employment. The GTA will be implemented through SkillsActive’s network of approved National Skills Academy training providers.
The money comes from the Government’s Best Market Solutions strand of the Growth and Innovation Fund, which is managed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
Dr Cable said: “The Growth and Innovation Fund, worth up to £50 million annually, will provide concentrated seed funding for employer-led projects that attract further co-financing from business. I can confirm today that projects are now in place for a range of sectors, following a first round of applications to the Fund. In this first wave we’ll be injecting over £10million alongside investment from employers.”
SkillsActive has also been the only successful applicant to the second strand of the Growth and Innovation Fund, which will see the delivery of a Joint Investment Programme. This will see £500,000 of match funding from Government to deliver specific training and qualifications to meet skill gaps in the leisure/fitness and playwork sectors.
SkillsActive Chief Executive Officer Stephen Studd explained: “This is a massive vote of confidence from the Government for the sport and active leisure sector and the businesses that work within it. Small and medium sized enterprises make up 99% of our sector. The funding will help SkillsActive offer these employers a vehicle for ensuring they can access top quality, cost effective training to develop their business.
“This bid, along with our successful bid JIP funding, indicates real progress in our mission to make the sector one that is worthy of increased public investment. I have no doubt the sector will rise to the challenge and we look forward to establishing the GTA, delivering these programmes and professionalising the workforce.”
Also addressing WorldSkills, Skills Minister John Hayes added: “We know that business is best qualified to identify how skills can drive growth. This investment will help employers develop their own solutions to the barriers that stand in the way of opportunity.”
Businesses will be able to join national and regional employer membership groups, enabling them to join forces and bulk-buy training and resources.
The first membership group is expected to be in place by early 2012. Up to 2,000 employers are expected to sign-up to the GTA by March 2013.
Training providers with existing contacts through the National Skills Academy continue to have opportunities to promote their great quality training through our new and improved website.
If your company has a current contract, you can view your new webpage in our training provider catalogue, offering a new way to showcase the full range of courses that you offer all on one central page. These pages will be further developed over the coming months as we continue to improve the website and the functions it can offer.
This new location for your information makes it a great time to send us an up-to-date list of the training courses that you are currently contracted to offer. Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any updates.
Visit the new training provider catalogue >
As SkillsActive and the National Skills Academy have become one onganisation, we are also working towards one single offer to training providers. This offer will be rooted in SkillsActive endorsement, which offers training providers the ability to endorse courses as meeting industry standards and offer CPD points for their training.
Discover more about SkillsActive endorsement 
SkillsActive’s successful bid to establish England’s first ever Group Training Association (GTA) for the sector offers further opportunities for approved providers of the National Skills Academy.
This GTA will bring together more employers looking for quality training for their staff. Providers with a National Skills Academy contract will have priority for any opportunities that arise within their field.
If you have any further questions about your training provider contract, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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