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Market Research ITT: Learner Scoping - Level 2 Apprenticeship in Fashion & Textiles (Wales)

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In 2012, Creative Skillset Cymru successfully bid into the Welsh Government’s Sector Priority Fund Pilot 2 fund, for a 2 year pilot funded until December 2014. The pilot is split into three strands:•Level 4 Higher Level Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media (Interactive Media Pathway);•Level 2 Fashion and Textiles Apprenticeship Pilot;•Creative Provision – offering industry support to Creative industries courses in Further and Higher Education in Wales.This tender concerns the second strand of the pilot – the Level 2 Apprenticeship in Fashion and Textiles which saw the establishment of this new Apprenticeship in Wales. The Apprenticeship has focused on attracting and recruiting new entrants into the Fashion and Textiles industries and has delivered innovative training support programmes capable of raising and widening the overall skills levels of participants.The Level 2 Apprenticeship in Fashion and Textiles in Wales qualification’ offers a range of pathways that enables the qualification to be specific and relevant to the sector in Wales. To commence the project, areas of skills gaps and shortages were identified via research including; a Sector Skills assessment for the Fashion and Textiles sector in Wales (2011) and a Feasibility Study for the Pilot apprenticeship in Fashion and Textiles for Wales (2013). Skills gaps and shortages identified included; apparel and sewn-products, design, textiles, laundry maintenance and handcraft garment making.http://www.afo.sscalliance.org/frameworks-library/index.cfm?id=FR01968In February 2014 Creative Skillset Cymru commissioned an interim evaluation of the Level 2 Apprenticeship in Fashion and Textiles pilot. The aim of the evaluation was to provide an assessment of the impact of the project to date incorporating the views of apprentices, employers and the stakeholders involved in the pilot. To ensure the sustainability of the apprenticeship and to help ensure more employers and apprentices in different parts of Wales could participate, the interim evaluation outlines that,[…] promotion of the F&T sector in schools and raising young people’s awareness of job opportunities and progression routes could help ensure a greater supply of new entrants to the sector.[…] there is evidence of a demand for the AFTP within the sector linked to a strategic need to encourage younger people to enter the industry in Wales.The interim evaluation also demonstrated that;“This process should be supplemented by a stronger promotional focus on schools, colleges and Careers Wales in order to make them aware of the progression opportunities available through the AFTP.”“Training providers should seek to work more closely with F&T employers to enhance the recruitment process through cooperation on information sharing and the promotion of the AFTP.”“The development of a stitching school could provide a further focus for raising awareness and sustaining the interest of young people to develop a career in the F&T sector. This could be linked to the delivery of the Level 1 Award in Fashion and Textiles to provide an additional entry point for the sector.”It was also noted that any future Apprenticeship programmes should also focus more on the recruitment process. It specifically mentioned the following:[...] many of the candidates were not suitable for consideration as apprentices. Several employers suggested that less suitable candidates had been encouraged to participate by other organisations (e.g. Job Centre Plus) rather than having actively sought to apply for the AFTP themselves.[…] a range of dedicated ‘recruitment days’ for the AFTP should be organised in future across areas of Wales covered by the AFTP. Stakeholders reported that this could provide further opportunities to bring together potential employers and apprentices in one location as part of the recruitment process.The Welsh Government’s Policy Statement on Skills and subsequent Skills Implementation Plan, Sector Priorities Fund Pilot 2 programme, the Young Recruits Programme and Skills Gateway were all highlighted as potential levers to support this process.ABOUT THE TENDERCreative Skillset Cymru is seeking support with:•Market Research: Learner Scoping – Level 2 Apprenticeship in Fashion and Textiles (Wales)The research will fall into two main parts:•To identify and map feeder schools with a fashion & textiles / design & technology provision (F&T/D&T) in catchment areas of a minimum of 4 potential apprenticeship providers pan-Wales;•To identify and map entry points into the industry e.g. Sewing Schools. Including shared interest and hobby groups e.g Knitting Clubs that currently attract potential learners in a minimum of 4 potential provider catchment areas;•To identify any other entry points into the industry that may be relevant e.g. Government initiativesThe final report will outline a detailed analysis of entry points into the F&T industry, detailing schools and other sources with F&T/D&T provision in a minimum of 4 provider catchment areas (areas to be agreed with Creative Skillset - databases of these will also be provided).We plan to use the research to help shape future approaches, to attract future learners, and to support the mainstreaming and sustainability of this apprenticeship post pilot. We require all research gathered to be robust enough to stand up to scrutiny and to help support Creative Skillset Cymru to build a rationale for further development and sustainability of the programme, and to inform areas for potential future activity.Creative Skillset Cymru is working to commission all research activities/reports with the intention of publishing them, once completed. This effectively means that we would like to standardise the formatting of all our evaluation outputs. To this end we will be sharing our publication formatting guidelines with the selected supplier during the inception meeting and will expect all deliverables to adhere to these specifications.This has numerous benefits:•To increase the number of publications we develop.•To raise our profile: when bidding for research and evaluation, funders look for a track record of our work and impact.•To ensure transparency in our approach.•To enable us to share lessons from projects more widely.Market Research ObjectivesWe will work collaboratively with the chosen supplier to help refine the brief and to ensure the best outputs possible. The overall aims of the Market Research are to:•Agree with Creative Skillset a minimum of 4 provider catchment areas where the potential of delivering the Fashion & Textiles Apprenticeship is at its greatest pan-Wales;•Identify feeder schools with a fashion/textiles provision in catchment areas of a minimum of 4 potential apprenticeship providers pan-Wales;•Identify relevant entry points into the industry e.g. Sewing Schools, Knitting Clubs etc. in a minimum of 4 potential provider catchment areas and provide a database including key contacts;•Produce a map of feeder schools with F&T/D&T provision in catchment areas of a minimum of 4 potential apprenticeship providers pan-Wales;•Provide a schools database (inc. key contact / course details) with F&T/D&T provision;•Innovatively identify any other potential recruitment avenues e.g. via various Government initiatives, and provide a database of key contacts;•A full report outlining the scope and outcomes of the initiative;•Present a brief interim summary of initial findings at the projects Industry-Led Steering Group in September 2014.ConceptWhere are the areas of potential for the sustainability and growth of the Level 2 Fashion and Textiles Apprenticeship in Wales?1.Where can we find learners in Wales that could potentially benefit from this Apprenticeship in future?2.Where are the feeder courses with F&T/D&T provision in the catchment areas of potential providers?3.Where are industry points of entry in the catchment areas of potential providers?4.Where are the shared interest and hobby groups currently attracting potential learners with an F&T/D&T focus?5.How do potential providers currently recruit learners for F&T/D&T courses?6.What links (if any) do the potential providers have to Jobs Growth Wales, Careers Wales and Job Centre Plus?7.Are there any other potential recruitment avenues we could benefit from to promote the qualification to learners?NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=14277.