Trailblazer scheme consultation: share your views

APM is collaborating with Sellafield Ltd, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the London Major Programmes Apprenticeship and numerous other organisations to develop a new project management apprenticeship standard under the UK Government’s ‘Trailblazer’ scheme.

To make the project management apprenticeship even more accessible, Sellafield Ltd will chair the Employer Development Group, which includes a number of corporate organisations, training providers, awarding bodies and APM.

Consultation – your views required
The Employer Development Group are consulting on the Trailblazer Standard and Assessment Plan. You can share your views in the consultation by completing this survey by 16 November 2015.

This is the latest step in the government’s plans to deliver 3 million new apprenticeships by 2020 and will give employers a greater say in designing high-quality apprenticeships that meet the needs of a broad range of industries.

In 2012 APM launched a Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management, which has seen over 500 up and coming project professionals being given on-the-job training with organisations such as Lloyds Banking Group, BAE Systems, Sellafield Ltd and EC Harris. The Trailblazer will build on this success and is expected to go live by September 2016, following approval by BIS. From the date the Trailblazer goes live all new apprentices in England will be registered under the Trailblazer Standard.  For those apprentices who have already started on the Higher Apprenticeship, they will finish using this framework and under the current funding model. The existing Higher Apprenticeship will remain operational in Wales.

Funding
The exact funding of the new Trailblazer is yet to be confirmed and this forms part of the current development process. Further information is available on the UK Government website.

As with the current Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management scheme, the aim is that all apprentices will gain professional recognition through Associate membership of APM on top of the qualifications they achieve.

Development of the Standard and Assessment plan
Take this opportunity to contribute to the development of the content and method of assessments involved in the new Trailblazer by completing this survey for The Employer Development Group.