What do new apprentice - ship rules mean for the drug and alcohol sector ? Kate Halliday explains
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Stepping up
What do new apprentice - ship rules mean for the drug and alcohol sector ? Kate Halliday explains
From April 2017 all employers in England with a salary bill of more than £ 3m have been required by the government to pay an ‘ apprenticeship levy ’ amounting to 0.5 per cent of their payroll . That ’ s a lot of money – 2.3bn annually for all employers in the UK . Employers are allowed to recoup or ‘ draw down ’ this money by putting their employees through apprenticeship courses .
So what does this mean for the drug and alcohol sector ? In February this year SMMGP took over the membership and accreditation function of FDAP ( the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Practitioners , formerly the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals ) and we have been picking up some understandable confusion from providers surrounding the apprenticeship agenda . Here are a few common misconceptions : 1 . You have to employ apprentices to draw down on the money paid into the apprenticeship levy . This is not the case . Existing staff or volunteers who are not apprentices can access apprenticeship courses to enhance their qualifications , up to degree level . In fact it is predicted that the majority of funds will be used on training the existing workforce .
2 . You have to draw down money you have paid into the levy within a year or you lose it . This is not the case – you have two years from initial payment to do this .
3 . I ’ m a small employer so the apprenticeship agenda does not apply to me . This is not the case . There are generous incentives ( up to 100 per cent of course fees covered ) for smaller employers putting employees and volunteers through courses .
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Currently drug and alcohol service providers who are using the levy are choosing existing courses in nonsector specific qualifications ( for example in management or generic counselling skills qualifications ) as there is no specific apprenticeship qualification for people working in the drug and alcohol sector . But there are only so many staff for whom non-sector-specific qualifications are appropriate and many employers fear they will not be able to use the levy to upskill staff across the organisation . However , this may be about to change . In July a ‘ trailblazer ’ meeting is being held by employers in the field , which could mark the beginning of a sector-specific qualification .
There is an opportunity to set the educational standard ... at a higher level than is currently the case , and provide consistency throughout services .
Apprenticeship qualifications must be based upon a job role or title . Two possible suggestions for the field are drug and alcohol treatment worker and drug and alcohol treatment manager . The trailblazer group will be tasked with producing a standard for the job role / s identified , and this will need to capture evidence in three areas : knowledge , competency and behaviours .
The trailblazer process opens up the opportunity to set a consistent standard , agreed by employers , for job roles within the sector – something that has been missing until now . This has the potential to provide consistency for employers , commissioners , the workforce and users of services . It is likely to involve the reassessment of DANOS standards ( widely seen as appropriate for the field but perhaps in need of some updating ) and will require agreement on the level of educational attainment required to carry out the job – something that has not been consistent throughout the field . Once the standard is set , educational providers can develop courses to meet the needs identified in the standard . This could happen relatively quickly ( within a year ) allowing employers to begin to draw down on the money paid in over the current year .
There are some challenges : anyone studying for apprenticeship qualifications will be required to spend 20 per cent of their time studying . At a time when providers are being asked to provide ‘ more for less ’ there are concerns that this could place strain on service delivery . And while everyone wants to have the best possibly educated workforce , there are concerns about the financial envelopes commissioners are providing for service delivery and whether wellqualified staff can be appropriately remunerated . The potential benefits of apprenticeships are numerous . They offer real opportunities for career progression and improved staff retention : volunteers , often people in recovery , can move from unpaid positions into employment supported by qualifications and in-work experience . People already working in the field can obtain qualifications that can support their current work and could lead to promotion . There is an opportunity to set the educational standard for those working in the field at a higher level than is currently the case , and provide consistency throughout services . And a workforce that is better trained will provide a better service for those in treatment .
Kate Halliday is FDAP interim executive director
For more information on apprenticeships including the trailblazer process watch a recording of FDAP ’ s webinar at https :// youtu . be / 6S3ob6HNBJg
Are you an employer who would like to be involved in the trailblazing process ? Contact Kate at fdap @ smmgp . org . uk
18 | drinkanddrugsnews | July / August 2017 www . drinkanddrugsnews . com