Higher apprenticeship for advanced manufacturing in Wales

Descriptions

Introduction & BackgroundIntroduction This tender specification sets out information for providers that wish to submit a tender to: Pilot the new Higher Apprenticeship for Advanced Manufacturing at Level 4. The work will be centrally managed and led by employers to:•Provide the sector with 70 high grade technicians and engineers at level 4/5 who will have practical skills, combined with a higher education qualification.•Provide an accelerated route for employees who need a blend of practical competence as well as high level academic knowledge and who have recently completed an Engineering Modern Apprenticeship, or are ready to seek progression from their current engineering role.•Provide added value to employers by ensuring that their demand signals are recognised and acted upon by HEI, FE, and private provision collaborating to deliver in technology based sectors a blend of academic and practical learning that includes working with equipment vendors. This will ensure that the best deliverer and delivery mode can be explored and monitored by Semta to suit the employer.•Provide information to measure the extent to which partnerships have developed and what impact can be made on mainstream funded programmes delivered through work based learning contracts.•Share information and best practice with other manufacturing SSCs especially Cogent and Improve.•Build capacity of employers to mentor Higher Engineering Apprentices in conjunction with training provider by providingoCPD plan for company mentor (A Units)oCPD plan for traineroTechnical objective training plans for Higher apprentice linked to their work placeThe mentor, can help by:•Ensuring competences or skills that require development are included in objective training plan•Providing regular assessments of competence•Linking professional development into current the companies appraisal systems;•Identifying learning opportunities to maintain and enhance appropriate skills and competences;Providing mentoring support, through; designated individuals, peer groups or networking opportunities.Timescale for deliveryProject will be contracted for the period 01 October 2012 to 30 November 2014. BackgroundThe Higher Apprenticeship framework for Advanced Manufacturing at Level 4 has been designed to provide the manufacturing and engineering sector in Wales with high grade technicians and engineers who have practical skills, combined with a higher education qualification. The programme will facilitate progression to Level 5/6 qualifications and enable apprentices to work towards Incorporated Engineer status.The manufacturing sector is broader than the remit of any single Sector Skills Council (SSC) therefore, we have worked as a consortium of Manufacturing SSCs to address this important skills need.Profile of the advanced manufacturing sector in Wales• the manufacturing sector in Wales employs approximately 133,000 people across nearly 6,000 establishments, with an estimated 80,000 engineers, scientists and technologists working across the manufacturing sectors;• of these technical roles, just over a quarter (22,600) are employed in higher-level technical roles made up of 4,800 technicians, 7,400 professional engineers and 10,400 engineering managers.• the main sub-occupations within the higher-level technical occupations are: Technicians - engineering technicians, draughts persons, laboratory technicians, electrical and electronics technicians and quality assurance technicians. Professionals – mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, design and development engineers, production and process engineers and planning and quality control engineers. Managers – production, works and maintenance managers, research and development managers and quality assurance managers.• just over half of this workforce is qualified to NVQ Level 4 or equivalent and above which leaves just under half with qualifications below Level 4 or the equivalent;• the workforce is predominantly white, male, with around 86% aged in the 25 – 60 range, which means that the workforce is aging;• there are around 400 vacancies per year with employers reporting around 100 of these vacancies being hard to fill as one third of applicants did not have the required technical and practical skills;• around 4,400 employees have skills gaps in higher-level occupations in the manufacturing sector made up of 1,280 technicians, 970 professionals and 2,150 managers.Employers are supporting this higher apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing because it provides a cost effective, comprehensive package of qualifications, rather than using stand alone qualifications, which can lead to Incorporated Engineer status to meet their higher level skills needs.There are currently six pathways in this framework covering a wide range of job roles in advanced manufacturing and engineering and which broadly fit into the higher-level skills requirements for the following sectors: •Aerospace •Mechanical •Electrical/Electronics •Maintenance •Automotive •Wind GenerationReference Sources. The primary source documents are;•Sector Skills Agreements of the SSC, the Manufacturing Alliance Strategic Reports•Welsh Manufacturing Forum Strategic Report•A Wales that Works – Wales Employment and Skills Board•Skills that work – Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills•Investing in Skills – Sector Priorities Funding, Fees Policy and Financial Support for Learners•Advanced Manufacturing Level 4 Non-Statutory (Wales) Framework DocumentThe Main Activities.•The successful providers will work with Semta to recruit 70 apprentices for Advanced Manufacturing Level 4 Non-Statutory (Wales) from 50 companies across Wales.•To work with Semta to pilot and test the delivery of the full Advanced Manufacturing Level 4 Non-Statutory (Wales)framework •To work with Semta and employers to develop objective training plans for the Advanced Manufacturing Level 4 apprentices3.Aims and ObjectivesPrimary Aims•To provide the opportunity for employees, from Advanced Materials and Manufacturing companies in Wales, to progress into higher level training and education.•Develop high level skills that have a positive impact on individual and organisational productivity, competitiveness and employee pay.•Improve collaborative approaches to the development of company technology based learning material for use in delivering the Higher Engineering Apprenticeship, between FE, HE, Employers, SSCs, Awarding Bodies, Training Providers all working with the QALL pillar of CQFW•Test the new SASW higher Engineering Framework for Wales for Advanced Manufacturing and include new technology based learning material using CQFW where necessary for accreditation linked to objective training programmes for each individual learner where required.Secondary Aims•Evaluate the effect on Advanced Materials and Manufacturing companies and their employees of providing access to advanced level learning for companies in Wales in terms of return on investment and added value.•Collate feedback on the learners experience and the practical applications of the new SASW higher Engineering Framework for Wales for Advanced Manufacturing •Identify further areas for learning development•Assess sustainability of collaboration between providers and employers in the delivery of the new SASW higher Engineering Framework for Wales for Advanced Manufacturing.Objectives•To test the new SASW Higher Engineering Framework for Wales for Advanced Manufacturing in the following Semta footprint:oAerospaceoMechanicaloElectrical/ ElectronicsoMaintenanceoAutomotiveoOther areas such as renewable energy design and manufacture if applicable.•To pilot and test the delivery of the framework pan-Wales targeting HEI, FE, training providers and encouraging links to technology equipment suppliers to form consortium delivery networks•To provide training delivery for 70 employees in the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing sector.•To provide individual Technician Engineer training programmes•To provide support for HEI/FEI and providers to work in collaboration with 50 employers•To work with Anchor and regionally important companies to provide support to SMEs either in their supply chain or in their region, by sharing information providing visits for technical CPD and venues for progress seminars etc.The competence and knowledge qualifications in this framework contribute to general competence as measured by in the engineering Councils UK specification and is endorsed by IMechE, IET, and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)