Public Sector

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Contents
Introduction
Introduction 3
Report context and overview 4
Employer profile 6
How will the public sector use the levy? 8
Will graduate recruitment decrease? 10
Is there any sign of a shift to high-level apprenticeships? 12
Who will have responsibility for apprenticeships? 14
On what terms will apprentices be employed? 18
How is the sector dealing with the apprenticeship brand? 20
When it comes to the Apprenticeship Levy,
public sector employers operate under unique
constraints. It is after all a government initiative
and the organisations they work for are funded
directly by government, and the government has
determined that 2.3% of its workforce at local
and national level should start an apprenticeship
programme each year. Moreover, this government
and its predecessor put severe limitations on
public sector recruitment.
These at times conflicting constraints have
consequences for the sector’s apprenticeship
programmes. On the one hand there is the urgency
of fulfilling the government’s 2.3% target, which
equates to 200,000 employees by 2020, as well
as unprecedented access to funds for training
that may not have been available in the past. On
the other hand, there is the imperative to limit
and even reduce headcount, which means public
sector employers have fewer options when it
comes to spending the levy than employers in
other sectors.
Inevitably, this means that the vast majority of
employers will have to look to existing staff to fulfil
the government’s quota, and correspondingly fewer
will be in a position to launch large-scale initiatives
aimed at new recruits. The terms on which
apprentices will be employed, too, will necessarily
reflect the demands and priorities of government.
There are other factors to take into
consideration: many employees in the public
sector are in older demographics, so it’s not
surprising that our survey finds many employers
are interested in apprenticeship programmes
for this age group. Part-time working is not
uncommon, which will have consequences for
the time available for training.
Nevertheless, it’s also clear from our survey that
public sector employers are enthusiastic for
the Apprenticeship Levy and the opportunities
it offers. The levy will allow them to configure
training strategically and on a far bigger scale
than they could previously. They can plan for the
long-term and offer high level apprenticeships in
particular in ways they could not before.
The diverse nature of the public sector workforce
presents some unique challenges – and not all
training providers will be able manage them. BPP
has been working with employers for 40 years.
We have in-depth knowledge of apprenticeships at
all levels – from Foundation to Degree and Masters
– and across all disciplines – HR, IT, finance,
administration, legal and many more. Moreover,
we are experienced in designing bespoke
programmes that are flexible and meet the
learning requirements of the apprentice, regardless
of age. Whatever the needs of the public sector
employer, I am confident we can meet them.
Ben Lambert
Strategic Talent and Development Consultant
BPP Professional Education