The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned NIACE – one of the two organisations which joined to form Learning and Work Institute – to research how the flexibility of the traineeship programme is currently being tailored to meet the requirements of particular sectors of the economy. This report presents findings of the research together with case studies of employers and/or providers who have developed a sector-focussed traineeship, and recommendations for providers who identify a need to develop.
Key findings
The main reasons given for developing sector-focussed traineeships were to:
- Address identified skills gaps in their sector
- Implement a pathway for young people to progress into existing sector specific apprenticeship programmes
- Provide more targeted support to enable local young people to get into employment
- Encourage young people to consider a career in a particular sector.
Providers utilised a range of methods to recruit young people to their sector-focussed traineeships, including:
- Through intermediary organisations
- Offering places to young people who apply for their apprenticeship programme
- Undertaking wider marketing activities to raise general awareness of their traineeship offer.
