Process Evaluation of the Apprenticeship Trailblazers: Final Report

This document describes an overview of the evaluation of the Apprenticeship Trailblazers initiative in England, which was launched to enhance employer involvement in apprenticeship policy following the Richard Review. The initiative's goal was to develop 187 new Standards with the participation of over 1,300 employers, aiming to improve the quality of apprenticeships. The evaluation employed document reviews, stakeholder interviews, and surveys to assess the initiative's progress, revealing broad support for the new Standards but also highlighting challenges such as assessment plan difficulties, funding model concerns, and maintaining employer engagement, particularly with small firms. Employers appreciated the initiative's direction and their own involvement, despite issues with delays, governance, and quality assurance. The report concludes with recommendations to mitigate risks and improve the effectiveness of the Trailblazers initiative, emphasizing the need for early expert involvement, diverse network composition, and adherence to the original policy ethos. The evaluation suggests that while employers see benefits in training quality and addressing skill shortages, there is a need for clearer policy communication and consistent support to ensure the program's success. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Process evaluation
• Process methods: Consultative/deliberative methods; Individual interviews; Surveys and polling
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: October 2015

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Links to published evaluations (DEBUGGING): No final report link found.
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes