On-the-Job Training Practices

Apprentices Act, 1961 The Apprentices Act, 1961, plays a crucial role in shaping India’s skilled workforce. With the latest amendments, employers and HR professionals need to stay updated to ensure compliance and maximize the benefits of apprenticeship programs. 🔹 Key Updates in 2025: ✅ Mandatory Engagement: Companies must engage 2.5% to 15% of their workforce (including contract staff) as apprentices. ✅ Flexibility in Training: Employers can now design ‘Optional Trade’ apprenticeship programs tailored to industry needs. ✅ Revised Stipend Structure: Apprentices must receive fair and updated stipends as per the latest amendments. ✅ Expanded Definition of ‘Worker’: Includes contractual and agency-based employees for calculating apprentice requirements. ✅ Decriminalization of Offenses: Fines replace imprisonment for certain non-compliance issues, easing regulatory pressure on businesses. 📌 Why Does This Matter? Ensures structured skill development for India’s future workforce. Encourages industry participation in training programs. Provides apprentices with better opportunities and fair compensation. #ApprenticeshipAct #SkillDevelopment #HR #FutureWorkforce #Compliance #TalentDevelopment #HRLeadership

Here's the latest important policy update from the Department on Apprenticeship Assessment, which follows on from yesterday's initial "illustrative" examples of the first three new apprenticeship assessment plans (AAPs) for Accounts Assistant, Data Technician and Early Years Educator. ➡️ Behaviours: Will be "verified" as opposed to assessed, like they are currently. Unlike now, this will fall on employers, not EPAOs, this has been long trailed. However, "assessment organisations and providers are not required to assess behaviours or quality assure employer judgements." Whilst not wanting to overburden employers (especially smaller ones), this, for one, could be seen as employers left to mark their own homework. ➡️ Sampling and comparability: The assessment plan will identify mandatory content which must be assessed in every version. Of the remaining content, assessment organisations are permitted to sample within and between knowledge and skill statements, provided there is sufficient opportunity for apprentices to demonstrate competence in all assessment outcomes ... This will bring the debate on full vs occupational competency to the front and centre. Whilst sampling is a widely used (and largely trusted) methodology, particularly in high-risk occupations, the right balance is needed to ensure employer confidence remains and is retained. Trailblazers should be allowed to hold the pen to be able to mandate as part of the AAP redesign, whether sampling is appropriate or not; employers should decide this, not individual AOs. Still a chance to address this. ➡️ Implementation: Just to be clear, this is a huge pivot on apprenticeship assessment, for employers, apprentices, providers and AOs all included. Not rushing into this was always going to be key - proposed timelines are sensible with so many moving parts and unknowns still. Let's break out the headlines on what this means: - For "most" standards... a "maximum implementation period of up to six months will typically apply". - Where a "mandatory qualification fully meets the assessment requirements of the occupational standard", a shorter implementation period will typically apply. In such cases, the implementation period is expected to be "between one and three months." - For "complex standards", by exception, a longer implementation period of "up to 12 months may be applied" to accommodate additional planning and coordination. #AAPs AELP #AskAshworth #Assessment #EPA #Sampling #Behaviours #Implementation https://lnkd.in/e5EX9ChZ

the unpaid internship era is fading. the future is apprenticeship: paid, structured, equitable, and by 2030, it might be the default way people enter careers. why? because real work + real compensation + real mentorship wins: internships often exclude people who can’t afford to work for free. apprenticeships lower that barrier by paying folks as they learn. companies that embrace apprenticeship programs get loyalty, skills mapped to real roles, and better retention. if structured equitably, apprenticeships can become diversity engines: a direct pipeline for underrepresented talent who wouldn’t otherwise penetrate conventional hiring rings. 💡 here’s how companies can build equitable apprenticeship programs: 💼 pay from day one: avoid unpaid “trial” periods that favor privilege. 💼 clear pathways + titles: define how apprentices become full roles, what metrics they need, and what growth looks like. 💼 mentorship & coaching built in: apprenticeship isn’t just doing work; it’s guided development. 💼 recruit beyond your bubble: partner with community colleges, nonprofits, local hubs, and build referral networks in underserved communities. 💼 skill-based assessments, not pedigree: hire for potential and scaffold growth, rather than screening out by “prestigious” backgrounds. 👁️ 👄 👁️ what if, by 2030, the standard entry into a career isn’t an unpaid gig, it’s a paid, meritocratic apprenticeship that trains as much as it rewards? 🫣 ps: inside my Patreon community, i sketch apprenticeship models by industry + equity frameworks for building them: https://lnkd.in/gekuWsy3

APPRENTICESHIP CONTACT UPDATE TO VERSION 9 Growth and Skills Levy formally replaces the old levy concept. Introduction of Apprenticeship Units (short, modular training). Formal split of responsibilities between: Department for Education (DfE) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Creation of Skills England now in the agreement. Language shifts from Apprentices only → Apprentices and Learners. Funding Controls (Clause 7) has been re-written completely giving powers of the DFE to cap growth, restrict expansion and intervene earlier if risk noticed. Audit and Clawback: DFE can now invoice you directly if other options not possible; extrapolate error rates across ALL funding potentially' require independent audits are funded by the provider. Fraud definition now includes the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Ofsted Impact is now more explicit and links closer to restrictions and actions if concerns are raised. Subcontacting is more prescriptive than before when it focused mostly on control and limits only. All EAS Claims must now be evidenced All Starts reported within 2 months, leavers/completers within 3 months and strict clawback if this is missed. This is confirming that it is no longer an agreement, but a risk-managed public funds contract.

🛠️ Finally - Career pathways for skilled trades. But structure alone won’t fix the ceiling. In Parliament, Senior Minister of State Poh-Koon Koh (Dr) announced that structured pathways will be developed for skilled trades - plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, and more. This is long overdue. For decades, our national career ladders have been built around PMET roles. Meanwhile, a young tradesperson faces two options: Stay on tools for life, with little wage growth. Or try their luck running a small subcontracting business. No clear progression. No dignified recognition. 📌 A proper framework matters — apprentice → specialist → master → supervisor → technical manager. It tells youth (and parents) that “hands-on” does not mean “dead-end.” But let’s be clear: A chart alone won’t move wages. Unless employers and clients (especially in public procurement) reward higher certifications with higher pay, the ceiling stays. Tripartite consensus is necessary but insufficient. Trade associations and contractors must actively reshape norms, not passively wait for MOM frameworks. The timing is critical. With AI, green retrofitting, EV infrastructure, and ageing estates, demand for high-skill trades is rising now - not 5 years later. If Singapore wants inclusive growth, this is the litmus test: 👉 Will a 22-year-old who chooses plumbing today feel as respected and secure as his peer who enters banking? That answer depends not on frameworks, but on whether we tie structure to dignity, and dignity to pay.

Expanding the U.S. workforce in emerging technology is a pressing challenge. How can we build new talent pipelines for critical industries like biotechnology and AI? CSET’s recent report, "Biotech Manufacturing Apprenticeships: A Case Study in Workforce Innovation," by Luke Koslosky, Steph Batalis, and Veronica Jade Kinoshita, explores a promising solution. By examining the North Carolina Life Sciences Apprenticeship Consortium (NCLSAC), the report offers a practical guide for organizations looking to develop their own programs. A few policy takeaways from the report that caught my eye included: 1️⃣ Provide sustainable funding for the infrastructure that apprenticeship programs rely on, such as regional workforce hubs, technical education programs, and pre-apprenticeship training. 2️⃣ Support regular, regional labor market studies and ensure timely access to data on skills gaps and hiring needs to help target training efforts effectively. 3️⃣ Increase federal and state funding for the startup and long-term costs of apprenticeship programs, including support services for apprentices like stipends and child care — flexible funding is helpful! 4️⃣ Support recruitment initiatives that build awareness and reduce barriers to entry, especially for engaging new and historically underserved communities in the industry. 5️⃣ Create or strengthen regional groups that bring together employers, education providers, and government partners to align their efforts and goals. For organizations in any emerging tech field considering this model, our new report provides guiding questions to start the process: ❓What are your current workforce gaps in terms of roles and numbers, and what specific skills are most in demand? ❓What type of apprenticeship model—employer-sponsored, an intermediary partnership, or a consortium—best suits your organization's needs and resources? Learn more and see how this model could apply to your industry: ➡️ Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/ekcTD7GY ➡️ For industry & workforce developers, see our guiding questions: https://lnkd.in/e3rAhtQV ➡️ For policymakers, check out the "Policy Takeaways": https://lnkd.in/eiNx2qfD

Training and Preparing the Next Generation of the Engineering & Construction Industry We must ensure our successors are well prepared. This starts with an education which provides the fundamentals necessary to be successful in the industry, compklemented by internships and apprenticeships as appropriate. This Executive Insight, published by the National Academy of Construction, takes a look at a cross section of Apprenticeship Programs. Key points covered in the Executive Insight include: • Structured Training and Skill Development: The importance of hands-on training that equips employees with practical skills directly related to their job roles, fostering proficiency and confidence. • Mentorship and Support: The role of mentorship in apprenticeship programs, where inexperienced employees are paired with seasoned professionals, providing guidance and fostering a sense of belonging. • Reduced Turnover and Increased Loyalty: How investing in apprenticeship programs leads to a strong sense of commitment and loyalty among employees, making them less likely to leave the organization. • Examples of Successful Apprenticeship Programs: Insights into notable apprenticeship programs, such as those by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines, showcasing their effectiveness in training and retention. • Impact on Employee Retention: The overall positive effects of apprenticeship programs on employee retention rates, job satisfaction, and long-term loyalty to the company, supported by survey data and real-world examples. The full Executive Insight may be found on the National Academy of Construction website or on my ResearchGate page at: https://lnkd.in/eAJtfEA4