Digital apprenticeship standards will be reviewed by the Institute for Apprenticeships so they are up to date with changing technology.
These 12 apprenticeship standards were approved before the IfA was set up last year and the review will focus on the experiences of employers and apprentices who have first-hand experience of the training provision.
The IfA said the digital route has been chosen for the first review as it contains occupations associated with fast-changing technologies. Experiences from the review will serve as a pilot, and the lessons learned will inform future reviews.
Quality digital apprenticeships
IfA chief executive Sir Gerry Berragan said: “We’re taking an employer-led approach to the statutory review, so we’re asking industry experts to tell us if these digital standards produce apprentices that are occupationally competent. If they don’t, what do we need to address the shortfall?
“We’re using this review to bring these apprenticeship standards in line with our quality criteria, as well as those standards that have been approved since the institute was established.”
The IfA's consultation on the review will run for four weeks from today and will conclude on 18 October 2018 with the outcomes announced in the new year.
Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Mark Dawe said he was not surprised by the announcement.
He added: "It is yet another example of a drip-feed strategy rather than the Institute being clear what its plan is for the next three years and sticking to it. These announcements do nothing to ensure stability and confidence in apprenticeships and they certainly don’t fit the remit of ensuring quality."
The standards in the scope of the review are:
- Cyber intrusion analyst
- Cyber security technologist
- Data analyst
- Digital & technology solution professional
- Infrastructure technician
- IS business analyst
- Network engineer
- Software developer
- Software development technician
- Software tester
- Unified communications technician
- Unified communications troubleshooter