• Important funding provided by AutoRaise to support apprenticeship standards
• AutoRaise appoint Seren Skills Consultancy Firm to support BRIT
• BRIT now have the support of apprentice standard experts, Seren Skills, to complete revision of all five Bodyshop occupational apprenticeship standards
AutoRaise, the industry’s charity, set up solely to help the UK vehicle repair industry to attract young people to a range of technical apprenticeships have appointed Seren Skills consultancy to support the work of the industries trailblazer group, BRIT. The industry has five apprenticeship standards and all five of these are long overdue a review. With some significant challenges, not least of all time for the BRIT volunteers, the trailblazer group identified a significant risk to the future of apprenticeships within our industry.
The government agency, The Institute for Apprenticeships, Training and Education, (IfATE) were becoming increasingly concerned due to a lack of progress on the revision. There was a significant danger of having some of the apprenticeship standards, that the industry relies on so heavily, being removed due to them not meeting the demands of IfATE’s standards.
The BRIT group, made up of industry volunteers, were giving as much time as was available. However, the route review process is a complex landscape and requires specialist knowledge. Trustees of AutoRaise, with the BRIT group, identified the need for more experience on funding/lobbying and the governments education departments frameworks to help ‘project manage’ the review process. The AutoRaise Board felt compelled to support as, without quality apprenticeship standards there would be no apprentice programmes for the industry. Without the ability to consult with and implore IfATE and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to effectively back the standards required for our sector, the skills crisis would have no tools left to support a solution.
AutoRaise, with the support of BRIT chair, Steve Hoe, have appointed expert consulting firm, Seren Skills Consultancy, to help BRIT with the challenges. Seren Skills will now lead on the review of all five apprenticeship standards and to ensure their longevity in the industry. AutoRaise will provide financial and operational support to enable the consultants to be appointed and commit the organisational support required through the charities only paid employee. Patrick Tucker and Hannah Lloyd, owners, and consultants of Seren Skills, have already started work on the review process for the Accident Repair Technician standard. Their work with BRIT will continue until all five standards have been reviewed and the government departments responsible fully recognise and properly fund all five of these apprenticeship standards.
Patrick and Hannah have met and commenced work with the BRIT chair, Steve Hoe, and will meet and engage the wider BRIT group at its next meeting later in December.
AutoRaise Trustee and BRIT member, Dean Lander, said “It is so important that the industry has quality apprenticeship standards that reflect the complexity of skills required to safely repair today’s vehicles and all the incumbent technology. I am so pleased that collaborating with both BRIT and AutoRaise we have been able to secure this important expertise on behalf of the sector.”
