GSLP-Liberals-Manifesto-2019

and adaptation for re-exporting.
All of the above apprenticeships and
training programmes for employment
have been partly financed by the
European Social Fund to date. This
was expected to end on 31 October
but the replacement funding from the
UK government which will be provided
to the UK regions will also be available
to Gibraltar and enable programmes to
continue after Brexit.
In England apprenticeship standards
were introduced in response
to the 2012 Richard Review of
Apprenticeships, which stated that
apprenticeship outcomes should
be “meaningful and relevant for
employers” and sector organisations,
and will always include an endpoint
assessment. The first standards were
introduced in September 2014.
In 2017/18, 44% of apprenticeship
starts have been on standards
following the 2016 Sainsbury Report.
In 2016/17 only 5% of starts were on
standards. Apprenticeship standards
are seen to be of a higher quality than
frameworks, with one reason for this
being that they are employer designed.
This means that the apprenticeship
is designed to increase the likelihood
that the apprentice will obtain the
skills, knowledge and experience that
they need.
In contrast, apprenticeship frameworks
were seen as qualification-focused,
and could potentially end with
the apprentice having achieved a
qualification, but not necessarily
having the skills they need. Previous
frameworks qualification-focused
were the norm. This means that,
as reported by the Institute for
Apprenticeships, it was possible for an
apprentice to achieve all qualifications
in the framework, yet not actually
obtain the skills they need to carry out
their job. Apprentices were assessed
throughout the apprenticeship for
frameworks, and there was not
a requirement for an end-point
assessment.
In Gibraltar the framework system
which was in place in 2011, continues
to be used and this is now the review
for the future in light of the shift
that has taken place in England since
2016/17.
The shift in emphasis that has taken
place in the UK, where the content
in the apprenticeships reflects the
requirements of the employers is in line
with that position adopted in Gibraltar
since 2012, that the qualification
framework system should be aligned to
the employment demand and that the
craft courses in construction should be
geared towards the provision of craft
level Maintenance Skills as opposed
to New Build which is usually the area
where employment is short-term and
has a high turnover.
In addition, in new build construction
projects the industry is moving
towards prefabrication which will
further reduce the relevance of the
traditional skills.
Since 2015 the areas of apprenticeships
in the Training and Employment
programme continues to deliver
additional workers skilled in the areas
that have been identified to date.
The policy of providing apprenticeships
with skills in the existing areas
will continue and be expanded in
new areas as a consequence of the
new opportunities created by the
implementation of the Post Brexit
National Economic Plan.
MADE IN GIBRALTAR
We are pursuing various options to
support businesses who are betting on
Gibraltar as a jurisdiction in which to
assemble and produce. Already some
are doing so very, very successfully.
We will use our two key assets, as
Sir Joe has set out in our Post Brexit
Economic Plan, to bring production to
Gibraltar, thereby further diversifying
our economy.
...aspire to the best Gibraltar
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