Apprenticeships. Good for Business.
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has end to end responsibility for Apprenticeships in England.
The NAS has been designed to increase the number of Apprenticeship opportunities and provide a dedicated, responsive service for both employers and learners. We are simplifying the process of recruiting an Apprentice through Apprenticeship vacancies, an online web-based matching service.
Apprenticeships bring considerable value to organisations, employers, individuals and the economy. Businesses across the country are now increasingly realising the enormous benefits that Apprenticeships create, not only in terms of a highly skilled workforce but also by boosting productivity and staff retention. Research shows they are an optimal way of training, developing and skilling people for the future, helping businesses secure a supply of people with the skills and qualities they need and which were often not available on the external job market.
We know employers directly benefit from these highly trained apprentices. The overwhelmingly positive results we have seen demonstrate how important it is for us to ensure the NAS maintains and builds this important programme.
Our responsibilities
Our main role is to work with employers, helping more of them take on apprentices; and to work with those who advise learners so that more young people and adults are able to benefit from the experience of work based learning.
The NAS will provide a consistent, expert service across all of England. This includes:
- promoting Apprenticeships and their value to employers both in the public and private sectors
- promoting Apprenticeships and their value to learners, particularly 16- to 18 year olds
- co-ordinating the funding for Apprenticeship places
- maintaining the national online Apprenticeship Vacancies system for aspiring apprentices and the employers that take them on
- ensuring that Business Link and other employer intermediary organisations have all they need to actively promote Apprenticeships to employers
- working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to establish Apprenticeships alongside other 14 19 options
- improving the certification arrangements for successful apprentices.
These responsibilities will be delivered through a national policy and business delivery team, and regional teams with a dedicated employer and learner services field force.
The national team will work with key national stakeholders and partners to promote Apprenticeships and develop policies and practices which enhance the learner and employer experience.
The regional teams will have a local presence and will support employers from their initial interest in an Apprenticeship through to the selection of a training provider to work with and the recruitment and progression of an apprentice.
The regional team will also support training providers and careers guidance staff in schools and colleges, as well as IAG (information, advice and guidance) providers in further education. The NAS will work collaboratively with Business Link brokers and other intermediaries to increase the number of employers who actively engage in Apprenticeships.