Six apprenticeships have been chosen to mark the King’s Coronation in recognition of their sustainability credentials – including one that is yet to be approved for delivery.
The apprenticeships will have the Coronation emblem bestowed upon them and used by the government and employers in materials to promote the hand-picked standards to boost take-up.
In announcing this honour, the Department for Education said the six were selected by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s expert green skills panel as the “gold-standard” for green skills training from a list of over 200 green apprenticeships.
Those chosen include countryside worker; forest craftsperson; low carbon heating technician; installation electrician and maintenance electrician; sustainability business specialist; corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioner.
Between them the apprenticeships have 7,920 starts to date – although the vast majority, 7,550 in fact, are for the installation electrician and maintenance electrician standard.
The rest have a combined total of just 370 starts, but one – the low carbon heating technician standard – is still being developed and is yet to become available to apprentices and employers.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan said: “As we work towards our net zero goals, it has never been more important to prioritise green skills and protect our natural environment. In recognition of the critical role education and skills play in responding to climate change, these green apprenticeships have been selected in honour of His Majesty The King’s Coronation.
“These gold-standard, sustainable apprenticeships offer people the chance to embark on exciting new careers in industries from forestry to construction, and contribute to creating a more sustainable economy.”
A DfE spokesperson added that the six sustainable apprenticeships reflect The King’s “longstanding commitment to ensuring natural assets endure for future generations, integrating renewable energy sources into our everyday lives, and applying sustainability into every aspect of our economy”.
What does this actually mean? The funding band for the L7 is £11k for a two year apprenticeship. Sustainability should be recognised with a funding uplift so that providers can run a financially viable training programme.
This is political showboating, means nothing but a tick in some marketing plan