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2. Background
Modern Apprenticeships
2.1 MAs were introduced in Scotland (and elsewhere in the UK) in 1995 to raise the number of young adults with skills at intermediate level - the equivalent of at least upper secondary education. The MA programme is delivered by Scottish Enterprise ( SEn) and Highlands & Islands Enterprise ( HIE). Since then MAs have undergone a number of changes both in terms of policy and delivery. They have evolved to provide quality training opportunities for people of all ages, helping to ensure that both new recruits and existing employees have the right skills required to tackle real jobs, and that employers have committed, highly trained, employees. An MA aims to provide employees with the knowledge, understanding and competence required to work at a high skills level in their chosen occupation. At the same time, MAs are recognised as an important tool for developing skills and raising competitiveness in all sectors of the Scottish economy.
Skillseekers
2.2 Skillseekers is a vocational training programme which is open to young people aged between 16 and 25. The Skillseekers programme is delivered by the Enterprise Networks and is available across a range of sectors and occupations. The outcome is achievement of a Scottish Vocational Qualification ( SVQ) level 2. There are currently just under 8,000 young people undertaking training through the Skillseekers programme, 80% of which have employed status.
2.3 Skillseekers was introduced in the early nineties and although it continues to provide a valid route to work-based training and employment for young people, negative perceptions of the programme have driven a desire to re-focus the programme, building on the good practice established in MAs.
Re-engineering Skillseekers
2.4 The Scottish Executive committed itself within the Lifelong Learning Strategy, ' Life through learning, learning through life', to work with the Enterprise Networks to re-engineer current Skillseekers provision. This exercise was to recognise the aspects of Skillseekers that worked well, address some of the perceived problems associated with the traditional Skillseekers programme and better reflect the training needs of both employers and young people.
2.5 Work to re-engineer the Skillseekers programme has been underway for almost three years. In this time we have sought a range of views and collected evidence from a number of stakeholders including training providers, Sector Skills Bodies ( SSBs), Sector Skills Councils ( SSCs), employer representative groups and employers. We have gathered this information via informal consultation exercises, presentations and seminars held during the last few years. In parallel to this activity SEn and HIE have undertaken a number of pilots testing new approaches and developing innovative sectoral solutions addressing low take up and poor completion rates. From this work we have gathered evidence to support the extension of the MA programme to level 2. This work has also raised some interesting points relating to the current MA programme and we feel there would be merit in seeking views on these too.
Driver for Change
2.6 The MA programme has grown in popularity since its introduction and remains highly valued by both employers and individuals. Although originally designed to support intermediate and managerial level occupations, there is some evidence that MAs attract more funding than other interventions. This has led to a situation where sectors have developed and implemented an MA at level 3 when arguably a level 2 intervention would have been more appropriate. This may explain why some sectors experience poor take up of their MA frameworks and a higher drop out rate.
2.7 SSCs - formerly the National Training Organisations ( NTOs) - have made representations to the Modern Apprenticeship Implementation Group ( MAIG) and Ministers on numerous occasions seeking the introduction of a level 2 MA. They have also raised a number of related policy matters associated with level 2 and level 3 vocational training provision including the use of alternative qualifications in MA frameworks and the setting of a minimum wage for apprentices. We feel that we could be missing an opportunity if we do not investigate these further.
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