The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has today launched a route review of standards in the creative and design industries.
It will look at 15 different apprenticeships across the sector, including bespoke tailor and cutter, watchmaker, bespoke saddle maker and broadcast production assistant (see full list below).
The review follows an announcement by the IfATE of a review into the hair and beauty route on Monday, which will look at just one standard – the level 2 hair professional.
The institute said both reviews are necessary in order to ensure high standards in the sectors and retain a good match between the skill set offered by the apprenticeship, the needs of the apprentice and the needs of employers.
Both reviews are beginning with an eight week public consultation, which will allow stakeholders including employers, providers and apprentices to offer their feedback on the standards.
Anna Osborne, the deputy director of approvals at the institute said of the creative and design sector review: “I would like to thank all of the creative and design employers and stakeholders who helped develop the broad variety of apprenticeships we have in place so far.
“The focus of the review will be to improve the quality of our apprenticeships and ensure they are fully up to date with apprenticeship requirements and the needs of both apprentices and employers. This will ensure they’re well placed to serve the creative and design sector for years to come.”
Iain Smith, co-chair of the institute’s creative and design route panel of sector experts, added that this is a “fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of apprenticeships in sectors where there are notable skills gaps”.
The first such route review was conducted by the IfATE last year into the digital sector, which published its recommendations in May. The outcome saw 12 standards become nine.
Among the wider recommendations was a trial of “gender-neutral” language – after research found “masculine” words in job adverts, such as “ambition”, “challenging” and “leader”, deter women from applying.
In early 2018 the institute came in for criticism for having failed to carry out any formal review of duplicate, narrow or low-skill standards since its launch.
It was urged to do so “at the earliest opportunity” by Lord Sainsbury in his report of the independent panel on technical education, published July 2016.
This week’s review announcements come nearly a month after another batch of results of the IfATE’s second funding band review.
It covers 30 standards and to date, 27 have had new funding bands signed off. The remaining three standards are expected to have their final funding bands revealed later this year.
The creative and design route consultation closes on 24 September, and the one for hair and beauty closes on 22 September.
The 15 standards in the creative and design route review:
Bespoke Tailor and Cutter
Watchmaker
Spectacle maker
Junior Journalist
Outside Broadcast Engineer
Live Event Rigger
Assistant Technical Director – visual effects
Junior 2D Artist – visual effects
Broadcast Production Assistant
Creative Venue Technician
Junior Content Producer
Bespoke Saddler
Organ builder
Live Event Technician
Publishing Assistant
The standard in the hair and beauty route review:
Level 2 Hair Professional
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