ANS Group leads the way in designing IT apprenticeships

"The quality of apprenticeships is a particularly poignant issue in the high-tech business sector," said Mr Fletcher - who is the founder and chairman of UK cloud infrastructure specialists ANS Group.

"There is no way that a local college can keep pace with the speed of change in IT and by the time they have developed a course it is generally out of date. More involvement from employers in developing apprenticeships is essential.

"The IT industry is obviously fluid and businesses need to re-invent themselves every few years. There is no sitting back on past glories in our industry and young talent is the essential fuel for that re-invention," he said.

ANS have recently announced details of their own apprenticeship academy that is part of the government's ‘Employer Ownership of Skill Pilot' and will train up to 50 ‘cloud apprentices' every year.

The ‘Employer Ownership of Skill Pilot' invites employers to develop any proposal that teaches skills, creates employment or drives economic growth.
"A lot of companies are now starting to grasp the nettle and it's resulting in a lot of innovation - on our apprenticeship scheme there is hardly any classroom time, for example, it's mostly on the job," said Mr Fletcher.

The consultation announced by Government is open to all interested parties and examine the way apprenticeship funding is distributed. Many employers believe that giving them access to finance for apprenticeship schemes is the best way to ensure that the correct skills are taught.
The consultation follows in the wake of the Richard Review in Apprenticeships published last year which highlighted inefficiency and abuse in the current system.

Three possible models for apprenticeship funding are to be discussed. A ‘direct payment model' would pay employers as soon as they register apprentices. A ‘PAYE payment model', would pay companies funding an apprentice on receipt of a PAYE return. The final model, known as ‘provider payment', would retain the current system of funding external training providers but they would only receive funds when employers were happy with training and had made their contribution.

"We wholeheartedly support any proposal that gives financial control to employers to develop the skills which they know that they can use," said Mr Fletcher.

Mr Fletcher also said that there were plans for an ANS apprenticeship academy that in the future would accept candidates sponsored by other IT businesses.

Mr Fletcher also said that they were looking at plans for an ANS sponsored apprenticeship academy or UTC that in the future would accept candidates from other Digital businesses.

"It would be great to think we could have 1000's of young people every year being work ready with the appropriate STEM skills at eighteen. Given the growth expected in the digital sector, it is essential that we address the skills shortage," said Mr Fletcher.

"We have found that apprentices display a greater loyalty to the companies which have trained them and are less likely than graduates to move on and work for your business rivals," he said.