New apprenticeship standards represent signficant change

The chancellor’s announcement that the government is launching new training qualifications as part of a raft of measures to equip young people for work is a timely reminder that the housing sector must play a leading role in giving people the skills they need.

The new measures unveiled in the Budget, including T-levels, represent a positive step to make training and education much simpler to understand, access and complete.

And this matters as much for our sector as it does for any other.

Not just because housing organisations must equip a new generation of skilled professionals to meet the many challenges which lie ahead, but because getting people into work should be a crucial part of the work we do to create communities.

That is something which all housing organisations can benefit from.

“The organisations which have really bought into training and apprenticeships have made it part of the fibre of their work.”

And though T-levels are undoubtedly something housing organisations should start looking into, there are even bigger changes on the horizon – the changes to housing apprenticeships.

From 6 April any organisation with a wage bill of more than £3m – the vast majority of housing organisations – will immediately begin contributing to the new apprenticeship levy introduced by the government as part of a wide-ranging reform to apprenticeships.

The levy can then be drawn down to fund training for the new housing and property management apprenticeships which the sector devised.

The new standards represent a significant change from the current apprenticeships in terms of content and delivery.

They require housing organisations to appoint a lead training provider to build a programme of training for the apprentice and an assessor to ensure the apprentice can demonstrate the skills and behaviours they need to do the job they have been working towards.

That means a level of buy-in and support from housing organisations that many will not previously have dedicated to training and apprenticeships.

But where the existing apprenticeships are somewhat general and focused on qualifications, the new standards are focused on skills and training on the job and crucially they allow young people to work towards very set roles.

So while this is a challenge it’s also a huge opportunity for us to rethink our approach.

During National Apprenticeship Week earlier this month it was extremely encouraging to see so many housing organisations showcase success stories about their apprentices – told by the people they have helped to take a crucial step on the job ladder.

The organisations which have really bought into training and apprenticeships have made it part of the fibre of their work.

They find ways to reach young people in their communities, they form great partnerships with other organisations in those communities and they deliver training and employment opportunities to help people thrive.

It’s an approach which reaps significant rewards because it very often brings through people who go on to become valued and passionate members of their organisation and who play a key role in driving it forward.

That is something which all housing organisations can benefit from.

“It’s a chance to give people in our communities the skills they need to thrive as well.”

People from their communities who understand the challenges that individuals and families face. Young people who are desperate to get a foothold in their career and whose determination and energy can be harnessed and developed to great effect.

So the question isn’t why should housing organisations do this, it’s why wouldn’t they.

The phrase ‘more than bricks and mortar’ is overused, but if ever there was an example of how housing organisations can achieve this it’s in giving people the skills they need to succeed.

Giving someone a home is about giving them a place from which they can thrive. This is a great opportunity to go a step further than that: it’s a chance to give people in our communities the skills they need to thrive as well.

The chancellor’s announcement and the impending changes to housing apprenticeships are a chance for all housing organisations to ask if they are making the most of the benefits that giving people in their communities knowledge and skills can bring.

If the business reasons aren’t enough, then the chance to make a crucial difference in our communities surely is.

It’s not that we should do it, it’s that we can.

Vanessa Howell, head of professional standards, Chartered Institute of Housing