On an abstract level, providers, apprentices and employers have a very good idea of what makes an apprenticeship successful, but the specific goals and roadmaps that lead to his trilogy of successes are not always the same between different courses.
A degree apprenticeship, for example, has a relatively clear objective, but the aim of gaining this qualification may vary between organisations, from ensuring a path to promotion for promising employees to offering an alternative path to higher education for a particularly diligent young person.
Despite there being such tremendous differences between apprenticeship programmes, there are some common factors and elements that make some apprenticeships more successful than others.
An Appropriate Roadmap
Ultimately, the only way to get the best result is through setting a clear, achievable destination, how to reach it from your starting point and the expected timescales.
Because the start point and destination are different for each apprentice given that not everyone starts out with the same skills, an employer must ensure that their roadmap is measurable, achievable, specific, relevant to the future career path and there is an expected timescale.
Next Steps
Beyond the actual apprenticeship itself, there must be a clear progression path for the apprentice once they complete their course, one that harmonises with other forms of CPD that the business adopts.
This could involve further, specialised training, a promotion into a new position, or a place on a company project, but there must be something beyond the course itself.
Mentorship Networks
What makes apprenticeships different from trainee employment is the level of support and mentorship that is baked into the system itself, and an employer must take advantage of this to forge career-long connections between members of staff.
The best way to help with this is to have a clear mentorship system, channels of communication and expected responsibilities for mentors and the capacity to provide support for people who are new to a particular industry during one of the most important times for their development.