Now a full-time Applebridge employee, Jack Hall is the first of Applebridge’s Academy apprentices to have successfully completed the recently established apprenticeship standard.
Approved for Bricklaying in 2018, the new standard is starting to see its first cohort of apprentices take on the assessment (with courses taking 2-4 years to complete). The Standard was introduced as part of the Government's major apprenticeship reforms and represents a shift from assessing to learning placing employers in control.
The standards include a variety of changes to the original SASE framework such as 20% off-the-job training, progress weighting and end-point assessment (EPA).
The end-point-assessment represents a critical new stage to the apprenticeship and consists of;
Skills knowledge test - which includes 60 minutes multiple-choice test consisting of 40 questions based on the knowledge apprentices have gained.
Practical Skills test - A 12-hour timed test that requires apprentices to complete a task by following an approved drawing, schedule and using other information such as risk assessments, method statements etc, and includes 20 minutes of questioning.
Oral Questioning - underpinned by Portfolio evidence: a 35-minute question and answer session, based on the skills and behaviours.
For Apprenticeships in Bricklaying the standard is still in its infancy, and is setting the bar high. With low pass rates across the UK it can be considered a great achievement for both Jack and the Academy, Applebridge Academy Manager Greg Chapman comments:
“With the current 2020/21 apprenticeship achievement rates for standards sitting at only 51.8%, this is a fantastic achievement from Jack. Jack has done an amazing job throughout his apprenticeship.”
With the construction sector continuing to struggle to attract new talent, the success of both Jack and the Academy is a reaffirmation of the company’s commitment to finding, nurturing, and developing the best new construction talent in the region, moulding the next generation of construction.
“We are proud of Jack's commitment to the apprenticeship, and it was only natural for us to offer him a full-time position with Applebridge construction upon the conclusion of his apprenticeship. The Academy apprenticeship route continues to be an ideal way to introduce new talent into Applebridge, with many of our new starters going through the Apprenticeship route, it is an area in which we are finding essential to Applebridge’s growth and we are committed to investing and developing the Academy along this path. ” Applebridge Group Operations Director - Andy Ray
