Building on the development of the CITB funded Specialist Apprenticeship Programme by ACAD, ARCA and the NFDC, we are pleased to confirm and update our members on the development of the Asbestos Removal Operative L2 Apprenticeship Standard.
How is this different to the Specialist Apprenticeship Programme?
This is funded by the employer Apprenticeship Levy, unlike SAP, which is funded by CITB. The SAP is currently free of charge to CITB levy payers (Licence holders who spend more than 50% of their time removing Asbestos). The new Standard will have a funding band allocated to it by the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Approved training providers will then deliver the standard and negotiate a training fee with you – the employer.
Are the contents the same?
The SAP consists of four weeks of formal training followed byNVQ L2 achievement over an 18 month programme. The new Standard should typically take 1 year to complete and must include 20% off the job training – which is over 10 weeks of training. The Standard culminates in an End Point Assessment (EPA) that will be delivered by a recognised End Point Assessment (EPAO) which is independent from the Training Provider.
The Insulation and Environmental Training Trust (IETTL) has recently been recognised by Ofqual as an End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO).
At the start of their apprenticeship, candidates who cannot provide certification for Maths and English, at the appropriate grade will be required to complete Functional Skills L1 and work towards L2 to successfully complete their apprenticeship. Functional Skills are completed in addition to any off the job training required by the Standard.
Didn’t ACAD make a start developing this?
Yes we did, however given the extent of training required by a Standard, it didn’t seem feasible at the time. The Standard will need to triple the ground-breaking content of the SAP to meet the 20% off the job training requirement.
Linked to the SAP was £8,415 of CITB grant funding available to employers. ACAD members have fed back previously that SAP funding levels were beneficial, compensating for down time away from site, with virtually no bureaucracy or administration required on the part of the employer.
What’s available to me now?
The new standard is still in development so is not yet available for delivery. ACAD continues to deliver the SAP having done so for almost five years, and has regular starts throughout the year including one starting on 04 November for those with less than 12 months experience of the Licensed Asbestos industry.
Will TICA-ACAD deliver the new standard?
TICA-ACAD has an unrivalled track record of delivering apprenticeships to the Licensed Asbestos Removal Industry. TICA-ACAD has been successfully delivering apprenticeship Standards and Frameworks for many years and is ideally positioned to deliver the new Standard in asbestos removal that is currently under development, to our growing membership and the wider Asbestos industry.
