COVID-19 Lockdown: How apprenticeships are being affected

We take a look into apprenticeships at Boston College in Lincolnshire and how the apprentices, training providers at the college and employers are working together to soften the blow of the impact lockdown is having on the employment programme.

Boston College quieter than ever

The Coronavirus pandemic has lead to businesses across the nation being temporarily closed. Although the government has issued funding to help during these stagnant times, a lot of businesses are unsure if they will ever be able to reopen.

For the people that work for them, this is also a very challenging time.

With 742,400 apprentices in the UK over 2018/19, many apprentices will be out of work at the moment.

Out of the 13 apprenticeship courses on offer at Boston College, only a few of which class as key sectors.

Jasmine Dion, an apprentice at the College training in an Advanced Apprenticeship in Standard Dental Nursing, had this to say

"The COVID-19 outbreak means that I have been furloughed from work and I do not attend college. Due to this there has been an interruption in both the practical and theory side of my training...with the college closing it means that exams can no longer take place, coursework will be achieved slower than usual, and workplace observations have stopped. This means that gaining my qualification could be postponed as coursework/observations have not been completed."

The Government has provided some measures of support to apprentices under their 'providing apprenticeships during the coronavirus outbreak' guidance such as modifications to end-point assessments (EPA).

The apprenticeships building at the college

The apprenticeship team at the college have been working hard to be as useful as possible to their apprentices by moving to online delivery of all training.

Wendy Poole, Apprenticeship Manager at the College had this to say:

"It is a mixed picture with our apprentices. Some have been furloughed, some are still employed and working above normal hours (ie care sector, food retail). Some are working on a rota basis or reduced hours. Most critical are sectors such as hairdressing where there is very little ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for them and I think it will be a while before they can get back to work."

She also added:

"I believe that once everything gets back to ‘normal’, our apprentices in practical trades will be able to really focus on the skills element of their apprenticeship. If they continue to engage with the online lessons we are delivering, much of the knowledge element of the apprenticeship will be completed. "

The team are still providing support services such as counselling, and learner support for any apprentices feeling anxious about their future.

Visit: https://www.boston.ac.uk/student-support/ For updates on any government support for apprentices keep an eye on: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-apprenticeship-programme-response