Are Apprenticeships just for young people?
Age is just a state of mind
Mark Hammond, Skandia UK
A vehicle for career change
Lucy Courtenay, Director of Education, Institute of Financial Planning
Demonstrating competence
Karen Lawlor, Information and Communications Manager, Education Development International plc
An attractive recruitment & retention tool
Daniel Pedley, Public Affairs Manager, Chartered Insurance Institute
No age barrier to apprenticeships in Wales
Helena Williams, Corporate Development Director, Acorn Learning & Development Division
Modern Apprenticeships not just for the young
Andrew M. Williamson BA, FCII, Chart FCIPD, DipCMus, Chartered Insurance Practitioner, Visiting Professor, Shanghai Finance College (now University)
Soft skills gained in a hard world
Richard Steer, Policy Researcher, City College Norwich
The value of life experience
Roy Sowersby, RMS Training Services
An excellent opportunity for all
Jennie Cornwall, Qualifications Centre Manager, Standard Life
Hands-on learning
Julie Wickenden, Chartered MCIPD ACIB CeMAP, Lloyds TSB
The need to re-brand
Ian Catchpole, Management Development Consultant, Jardine Lloyd Thompson UK
Flexibility is the key
Maggie Scott, Director of Learning and Quality, Association of Colleges
A solution to the skills gap
Sarah Cottrell, Skills Broker, The Consultancy Home Counties Limited
Benefits for all ages in Northern Ireland
Angela Connolly
The need to educate
Louise Timperley, National Head of Quality, Kaplan
They need to be effectively marketed to employers
Dillwyn Rosser, Head of Employer Engagement - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Upskilling adult employees is critical
Jason Gaunt, Sales & Marketing Director, Protocol Skills
An underused resource
Clive Nash, External Verifier and director of Wilford Commercial Training
Youthful connotations
Anna Donn, Project Manager, Stellar UK
Age no barrier
Andrew Forbes, Work Based Learning Manager, West Kent College
A problem with image
Julie Pardy, Regulatory Liaison Manager (Dip PFS), Worksmart Solutions
Employers need to open their minds
Joanne Wallen, Senior Editor, Retail, Complinet
A cost effective solution for employers and a route to higher level qualifications
John Woods, Moneyfacts
Flying the flag for Apprenticeships
Colin Grant, Associate Adviser, The Consultancy Home Counties
Opportunities for all in Scotland
Scott R Coghill FCIB, Director, CompliancePoint
Learning for life
Digby Jacks, Alliance for Finance - secretary
Case for continuation of funding for Modern Apprentices over 20
June Jones, Managing Director, ITCA Ltd
Apprenticeships should be made available for all ages
A. Dada
Say the word Apprenticeship and immediately most of us will link it with an image of a young person. There is nothing wrong in that, after all for several hundred years that is pretty much who apprenticeships have been offered to.
In the current market place there are plenty of vacancies that can equally be filled by employees who may no longer be considered "young". Although plenty would argue that "young" is merely a state of mind.
At Skandia we offer Apprenticeships to any employees who want to improve their skills and qualifications. The benefits for the individual are similar to those of our younger apprentices – as are the returns on investment.
Achievement rates for our apprentices, young or old are often more than 90%.
Five years of data show that employees who complete an Apprenticeship stay with our company longer and take less sick time than those that don't. Apprentices often progress from level 2 to 3 and some to level 4. Our youngest apprentice is 16 but we also have apprentices in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and beyond. Regardless of age, apprentices help make Skandia a great place to work.
Mark Hammond, Skandia UK
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Well – if they are, they will never take off with financial planners. One of the challenges faced by financial advisers and planners is attracting new people into the profession. Most new advisers are looking at a new career, they may have worked in financial services but come from another customer-facing environment. It's unusual to talk to students or young people at school who see their future as financial planners. This is not true worldwide, in the US, financial planning is a career of choice right up there with investment banking, accountancy and law. The IFP is working with undergraduates at Manchester Metropolitan University. The challenge is to convince them (and their parents) that financial planning is more exciting than accounting and finance. Those that take the first steps are not difficult to convince. A training scheme which attracts and motivates people, young or not, and which delivers appropriate exams and those elusive but all-important soft skills deserves to succeed. If it's funded as well then I'm sure it will.
Lucy Courtenay, Director of Education, Institute of Financial Planning
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By combining theory (technical certificate), practical application (NVQ) and literacy and numeracy (key skills), apprenticeships provide ideal training programmes for new entrants of all ages, career changers and even experienced employees with no formal qualifications. Financial Services NVQs in particular help employees to set out their training and development needs, keep their CPD up to date and ensure they understand and can apply the basic principles of insurance. Assessment is undertaken in the workplace, involving observation of the employee by qualified assessors and therefore should not impose on daily work routines. An additional benefit of the Financial Services NVQs is that they enable employers to meet the requirements of the Financial Services Authority by proving the competence of employees.
It is unfortunate that, for those not closely connected to the world of work-based training, the term "apprenticeship" relates more closely to school leavers than older adults. A term with wider application is required in order to appeal to learners of all ages.
Karen Lawlor, Information and Communications Manager, Education Development International plc
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Apprenticeships offer a number of advantages to employers within the financial world and it is right that the opportunities they present are not limited to those under-18. They offer a potential route for new entrants into the sector and an opportunity to up-skill those already employed.
Perhaps the most important aspect of an apprenticeship is the awarding of a technical qualification (such as the CII certificate in insurance). However, on the job training also plays a fundamental role in an individual's development, giving them the experience and confidence to accompany any technical qualifications.
Apprenticeships can serve as an attractive recruitment and retention tool, whilst also enabling employers to meet T&C requirements. They are also kind to companies' training budgets thanks to the amount of Government funding they attract. Indeed when working with bodies like the CII and colleges or training providers to devise bespoke solutions, employers could find themselves not having to pay a penny.
Daniel Pedley, Public Affairs Manager, Chartered Insurance Institute
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In Acorn's case, our statistics speak louder than words demonstrating most unequivocally that there is no age barrier to apprenticeships in Wales.
We currently have a total of almost 850 people in our apprenticeship "bank" and of these:
- 44% are aged over 30;
- 27% are aged over 40;
- our oldest apprentice is 62;
- in the financial services sector, for example, our oldest apprentice is 55.
Of course, the majority of people entering the ranks of the apprentice will continue to be aged between 16 and 23.
But as employers recognise that the apprenticeship programme brings many commercial rewards - from business efficiencies to staff retention improvements' they will focus increasingly on their entire workforce.
For those with untapped potential, no matter what their age, the apprenticeship programme offers huge advantages to the employer and individual.
The trend we have identified is also supported by the Welsh Assembly Government in Wales which has introduced all age Apprenticeship funding.
Acorn, via our funding contract, is working closely with the Welsh Assembly Government to actively support businesses in introducing these National standards to their workforce.
Above all, Acorn's statistics paint a true picture of the situation, proving that apprenticeships are most certainly not just for young people.
Helena Williams, Corporate Development Director, Acorn Learning & Development Division
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Their predecessor "ancient" apprenticeships? - certainly were just for the young, on the premise that apprentices were still of an age to be beholden to their parents who chose a trade for them, often forcibly, and paid for the privilege.
Hence the expression "being apprenticed to a (job role)", rather than "becoming a (job role)".
Today's employment pattern, however, is changing. Not only are young people free to choose their own careers; but also many adults are starting or going back to work at a much later age than they previously would have done, and they too need some form of apprenticeship.
Hence, for both categories, I thoroughly recommend the Modern Apprenticeships (having been a CII Regional Internal Verifier) and Foundation Degrees (being the Financial Services Course Leader at the National Skills Academy in Norwich) as providing the right balance of independently assessed practical skills and relevant underpinning knowledge.
If this smacks of vested academic interest, far from it.
Thirty years with Commercial Union, retiring as Director for China, has convinced me that what the financial services industry demands of new entrants of all ages is met by both schemes better than many "airy-fairy" qualifications
Andrew M. Williamson BA, FCII, Chart FCIPD, DipCMus, Chartered Insurance Practitioner, Visiting Professor, Shanghai Finance College (now University)
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Our experience at City College Norwich is that older learners often make very successful apprentices. From the apprentices point of view, this is because by their early twenties they are usually clearer about what they want to do, and are more committed and motivated, than they were at 16 or 17.
By this stage many have taken courses or worked in other vocational areas and discovered "it wasn't for me". Or they might not have thought seriously about training until finding themselves stuck in a dead-end job. Either way, they are typically more certain about their chosen career path and the importance of training. Having older apprentices is beneficial to employers because these staff are more mature and bring the soft skills they have developed through previous employment and training. This is particularly valuable in customer facing roles. For these reasons, we are very positive about the adult apprenticeships currently being piloted.
Richard Steer, Policy Researcher, City College Norwich
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Apprenticeships are not just for young people. There are many advantages in offering older people the chance to undertake a Modern Apprenticeship which provides flexible, personal development aligned to specific needs, and also links business strategy to learning and development activities.
Apprenticeships provide a competitive positioning which older people can offer by being innovative, adaptable and more effective, because of their wider life experience and skills.
Such opportunities enhance esteem and status which older people are more likely to embrace, and lead to stronger commitment to both work and learning activities.
The basic structure of apprenticeships enables people at all levels to update their skills through a constant learning and development culture.
In a nutshell, if an organisation is committed to providing ongoing learning and development to all its employees, offering everyone an apprenticeship opportunity will bring greater motivation, team work and customer satisfaction.
Roy Sowersby, RMS Training Services
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Apprenticeships helped Standard Life's Managers make a successful transition to managing in a PLC environment. Staff aged 24 to 50+ successfully completed an Apprenticeship during 2006/7 which allowed them to focus on their leadership styles and financial skills, at the same time giving them confidence and motivation to move forward into a new era with the company. This year's Apprenticeship programme was three times oversubscribed to by existing adult members of staff wishing to take part. This proves that the Apprenticeship name is no longer directly associated with school leavers, new recruits, or the unskilled. The removal of bureaucratic processes e.g. portfolios and excessive paperwork, within the Apprenticeship programme, has also helped us achieve this level of engagement. Delivering these qualifications in-house has also kept any spend to a minimum, and with government funding supporting these programmes, Apprenticeships are an excellent opportunity for many companies to consider.
Jennie Cornwall, Qualifications Centre Manager, Standard Life
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I think apprenticeships could be widely used as a practical way for learners of any age to take on new skills. Many people struggle to learn effectively until they are shown something at first hand apprenticeships make this happen and can usually combine "hands on" with study, making them perfect for all learning styles.
In our rapidly changing world, re-skilling will become more of an issue, so an efficient and user-friendly way of learning new skills is a must.
Having an experienced and positive role model to support and buddy you through learning is immensely important in our business, apprenticeships can provide this really well. Not sure how we could extend the concept into banking but open to ideas!
Julie Wickenden, Chartered MCIPD ACIB CeMAP, Lloyds TSB
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The word has an association with it so such schemes do need re-branding with another label. I don't feel that age should be an issue if the marketing is right. Such schemes should however ensure development of those completing these schemes and they must not become a tick box or evidence trailing activity. Real development is vital if true skills development is to take place.
Ian Catchpole, Management Development Consultant, Jardine Lloyd Thompson UK
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AoC has consistently advocated the need for training as people want it, and when people want it. Colleges are making huge strides to become more employer focussed and flexible. Apprenticeships do not necessarily need to be the domain of young people alone. We need individuals to re-skill and re-train right through their working lives. People want to gain qualifications that are recognised and have currency, to get them in work and to advance their skills and careers. Apprenticeships are well respected. Perhaps they too should not be constrained by "age and stage".
Maggie Scott, Director of Learning and Quality, Association of Colleges
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I see Apprentices as potential new employees and existing employees for the Company, of any age. Yes this is an excellent route to learn the hands on skills in additional to theory based training. This combination of train, assess, train, assess I believe is the best route as it enables all individuals form any sectors to be taught with up to date technology equipment and up to date theory based programmes.
With regards to areas such as Construction and Engineering I/my clients also feel that if secondary schools could present information on the varied options regarding Apprentices at the time pupils with their parents choose their options, this would increase the intake of Apprentices including females. I feel it is the lack of understanding which prevents our youths of today in moving towards apprentices. We have a skills shortage and I believe this would help fill some of the gaps.
Many of my clients that I work with are now either looking to offer an Apprentice for the first time or re-engaging with them as they are seeing that they will be experiencing a huge skills gap when some of their long term skilled employees retire. Also several are now looking at moving existing employees whom show good hands on skills towards an apprentice scheme. Finding skilled employees to employ seems to be a real issue for them.
Sarah Cottrell, Skills Broker, The Consultancy Home Counties Limited
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I have delivered apprenticeships in Northern Ireland for Financial Services and Contact Centres and the age barrier for funding has always been a bone of contention for employers.
Groups I have worked with have included over 25s (not funded), as employers did not wish to be discriminating over age. All ages have benefited from the programmes and the training and development has been valuable to all.
In relation to the skills debate, an 'apprenticeship' is an excellent means of attracting older workers back to the workplace and bringing maturity and people skills into the workforce.
The term 'apprenticeship' is off-putting, and does not recognise the current level of skill or life experience.
In NI apprenticeships are prioritised for the 16 - 19 age group and new employees. My experience has been that the scheme can be valid for existing employees of any age.
Angela Connolly
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Kaplan Financial has been working with Apprenticeships in the professional services sector for almost ten years, predominantly with Accounting Apprentices but more recently with Financial Services Apprentices.
Ten years ago, the term "Apprentice" was viewed as a training programme for young people in manual trades such as plumbing, engineering, hairdressing etc. This changed when the government decided to extend the programme as a training ground for trades, professions and other skills, including Accountancy.
Kaplan had a struggle initially to educate the Accountancy sector which was historically geared to recruiting graduates. The benefits of recruiting school leavers and training them through an NVQ programme were highlighted. Apprenticeships equipped staff with the skills and knowledge to do the job better, and the motivated staff worked harder and more effectively. Kaplan now trains over 1000 Apprentices annually. We are now spreading the word about Apprentices in the FS sector too, with the newly designed Apprenticeship programmes.
Employers were initially attracted because the programmes are government funded, but they are now able to clearly see the benefits, with many employers choosing to recruit school leavers and/or graduates.
With the massive changes in the labour market, as there is now no such thing as a "job for life", the government is also funding Apprenticeships for the over 25s. This should be welcomed by the sector as a way of recruiting mature staff with transferable skills, who require specific Financial Services skills and knowledge.
Louise Timperley, National Head of Quality, Kaplan
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I am involved in apprenticeships in South East and West London and when I meet employers they are quite surprised to learn that there is an apprenticeship programme in the UK. Many employers deal with government agencies and authorities regularly and never receive any information about the apprenticeship programme.
During the recent £8m LSC add campaign, less than 1% of the budget was used to promote apprenticeships. Job Centre Plus never advertises apprenticeship vacancies and the few apprenticeships offered to young people on the Connexions job website (LOIS), require higher level prior qualifications that the level of study on the course.
It is difficult to imagine why a young person would apply for a training course at a level they have already exceeded. The UK government wants to train apprentices after they have secured a good job with pay. However, the majority of people who would benefit from apprenticeships do not successfully gain proper employment and therefore cannot access an apprenticeship. What is missing is effective job brokerage in each business sector. This would help employers to recruit adults and young people at a lower level so they can be trained up to benefit the sector as a whole. For a good example of job brokerage, click on www.waytowork.org.uk.
Apprenticeships can be used to up-skill new and existing employees irrespective of age but they do not fit all situations. Members of the existing workforce do not usually fit the apprenticeship requirements as their Maths and English are at quite a low level to start with. New employees can get excellent support from apprenticeship programmes, but good quality "job brokerage" is essential for this approach to be successful.
There are a vast number of case studies which show how successful apprenticeships are for the right people. However, this information is not marketed effectively to employers to help them make informed decisions about how to develop their future workforce.
Dillwyn Rosser, Head of Employer Engagement - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
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Protocol Skills and its corporate clients recognise the very real positive contribution that vocational apprenticeships for young people make to the continuing success of UK businesses.
However, if the UK is to achieve the targets set out in Leitch report, (doubling the number of apprentices to 500,000 by 2020), there must be a shift in outlook to support adult apprenticeships in the work place.
A significant proportion of the 2020 workforce is already in employment and beyond the stereotypical profile of 16-19 apprentice learners. It is therefore necessary that all interested parties ensure that employees are equipped both for the current working environment and the workplace of the future.
Up-skilling adult employees to respond to ever-changing business models is critical not just for the UK economy, but also for individuals and employers.
With additional government funding through Train to Gain, training providers like Protocol Skills work closely with employers and their employees to encourage and support vocational skills development. This makes a positive contribution to business performance – whatever the age of the individual.
Making sure that work place training is relevant to the UK's workforce, irrespective of age or sector, and equips individuals for the challenges ahead, has to be a key priority.
Jason Gaunt, Sales & Marketing Director, Protocol Skills
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Firstly Apprenticeships are a very underused resource with tremendous benefits for the Financial Services Industry. Unfortunately Apprenticeships are often seen as an award for manual tasks. The Financial Services industry needs to accept the vast benefits of the Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships awards. There is a shortage of staff, with many older, more experienced employees retiring and not enough younger people to replace them. The promotion of A/AAs is ideal to address these problems.
To deal with the specific points
- I think of apprenticeships as applying to all ages. In Wales they are available to all age groups, as they should be in England. Apprenticeships serve two areas. They are ideal as an introduction for all who enter the industry, irrespective of age. They provide the foundation from which to develop further. Unfortunately many see professional exams as the only way forward. This is understandable because professional qualifications are regarded as top of the heap. The problem is they cover the "know how to" but not the "can do". A/AAs meet the both these requirements. They also meet the requirements of the Financial Services Authority, in that they prove the candidate is competent in their job. They also lead to the first steps on the professional qualifications ladder, through the technical certificate. Many smaller employers cannot afford the money to train their staff correctly and A/AAs with Government funding meet this need.
The second area they serve is to provide acknowledgement of an experienced person's skills. However, experienced, but unqualified staff also learn a great deal from gaining an A/AA. I have not yet come across an experienced person who did not gain a great deal from working towards their award, with many improving their skills and marketability. Again it meets the FSA requirements regarding competency and confirms the skills they have gained over the years. However with the changes in the employment market and the end of "jobs for life", many mature individuals are making new careers for themselves. A/AAs benefit them as much as they benefit young starters.
- A/AAs are possibly the only way of meeting all the requirements of up-skilling staff of any age. They deal with the theory and the delivery aspects of upskilling, by allowing staff to gain professional qualifications covering the theory, being assessed on their ability to deliver quality service to clients and meeting FSA requirements regarding competency.
What needs to be developed is regular reassessment to confirm continuing competence and to take account of changes in job role e.g. changing from an underwriting to a claims role. So I will end with a question would you allow someone to drive a car having only completed the theory test, (equivalent of professional qualifications,) do they need to read the test paper, (key skills) or do they also need to be assessed on their ability to drive,(NVQ equivalent)?
Clive Nash, External Verifier and director of Wilford Commercial Training
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Both historically and currently, the majority of people and businesses associate apprenticeships with youth. However in a modern economy facing some serious skills gaps, we need to maximize the potential of all ages as part of a lifelong learning strategy. My own company promotes the attainment and improvement of skills at all levels and ages throughout the organisation. Funded apprenticeships would be a welcome, and essential, addition to any initiatives which individual companies are either implementing or planning to implement.
While recognising that it is essential for growth in the economy that we are able to provide and sustain the workforce of the future with relevant skills we must also be aware that many people are now working longer and need to have their own skills and experiences maintained, recognised and improved.
Perhaps connotations attached to the word "apprenticeship", prevent older people being attracted to the very real knowledge and skills they can offer to benefit themselves and their employer. Perhaps we therefore need to rethink how such opportunities are marketed and targeted.
Anna Donn, Project Manager, Stellar UK
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An Apprenticeship is generally made up of a theoretical course, studied at college, a vocational course assessed in the workplace, and an element of Key Skills. As with all Further Education colleges here at West Kent we offer people of all ages the theoretical and the vocational and help all sorts of people with their key skills. Apprenticeships package the three elements together to offer a person who is entering a profession everything they need. There is no reason why people of all ages shouldn’t take the same approach to learning. If they are entering a new profession or just want to learn new skills, they still need the underpinning theoretical knowledge and need to put that knowledge into practise on the job. Therefore, they may well benefit from help with Key Skills, regardless of their age.
Andrew Forbes, Work Based Learning Manager, West Kent College
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The word apprenticeship can mean many things to many people, but typically for me and many others, it would have conjured up the image of a school leaver learning a trade such as carpentry or plumbing.
Today, however, with widespread interest in programmes such as "The Apprentice", there is understanding that this could be a stepping-stone to a lucrative and promising career…with some lessons to learn on the way.
I don't believe that currently within financial services, the word "Apprenticeship" is synonymous with filling skills gaps, providing a structured development path for new starters and creating a robust succession planning model, whilst helping support an organisation's productivity and profitability.
Apprenticeships should not be just for "young people", they should be part of an organisation's offering within the employment market place. The word "Apprenticeship" should now refer to a programme offered by an employer that is committed to structured learning and development for individuals at any time during their working life in order to provide entry and growth within financial services.
So, what does the industry need to do to make that "step" change in understanding?
- More support for the FSSC in championing this method of employment
- More consideration by employers on the long term recruitment and development strategy for their business
- More discussion and benefit publication within the industry to bring this matter to the fore
- More interaction between FS companies and their service providers.
Julie Pardy, Regulatory Liaison Manager (Dip PFS), Worksmart Solutions
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Since people no longer have jobs for life and are going to be expected to work for longer, apprenticeships would offer a much-needed route to career change. Employers are still very narrow-minded about the types of skills they need for particular roles, and tend to employ only those who have already fulfilled a similar role. This makes it much harder for people to change career or move around within their company. It also means employers miss out on a wide range of skills and experience that could so easily be tailored to the specific requirements of the job. Apprenticeships or work experience for older people could provide an excellent bridge from one career to another as well as preventing people being thrown in at the deep end if they are lucky enough to find a new career opening.
Joanne Wallen, Senior Editor – Retail, Complinet
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Apprenticeships offer the opportunity for people who are employed and training in the financial services sector to acquire the necessary skills and qualifications that both they and employers need. Because they are at least partially financially supported by the Government through the Learning and Skills Council, they offer a cost effective solution to employers and recognition of the contribution they make to up-skilling of the nations workforce.
They also offer individuals a modern means of continuing in learning and acquiring the skills and qualifications to enable them to progress their careers in financial services. They do this by enabling people to work whilst studying and therefore gaining valuable practical experience as well as appropriate qualifications and theoretical knowledge. This means people taking this route of training are earning money at the same time as learning and developing their careers for the future.
Career and learning pathways are not limited to the completion of the apprenticeship programmes. Because Apprenticeship training includes both technical and theoretical knowledge, they now provide a route to higher level qualifications such as foundation degrees and entry into university.
Apprenticeships should not be regarded as something only for young people. They are open to people of all ages who are entering and training for a career in financial services.
John Woods, Moneyfacts
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At the risk of being considered a Luddite, I believe that the decline of many our industries can be directly attributed to a decline in skills caused by the death of the traditional apprenticeship scheme. So I am happy to pin my flag to the mast of apprenticeships.
For increasing numbers, if not the majority of people, the idea of one career for life is no longer valid. In which case, I believe the modern apprenticeship process should be extended to all age groups where a new set of skills or a career change/return to work after a gap, are involved.
The key to success would be flexibiIity. Flexibility in terms of duration, of content and of method – the decision should be based both on the necessary components and time to develop the skills being learnt and on the capacity of the trainee to learn.
Apprenticeships should be supported and funded as a necessary part of adult education and should encourage all to be involved.
Colin Grant, Associate Adviser, The Consultancy Home Counties
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Apprenticeships in the Financial Services Industry in Scotland are for everyone.
The days of only school leavers entering the exciting and valuable work related world of Apprenticeships are now a thing of the past.
Modern Apprenticeships provide high quality training opportunities for people of all ages and are very important in providing not only new recruits and existing employees with the essential skills to successfully undertake their jobs. Apprenticeships are also an increasingly valuable tool to attract high quality candidates into the Financial Services sector including the growing number of mature highly experienced employees returning to the workplace after a career break etc.
Apprenticeships build knowledge, skills and expertise and provide valuable evidence of competence giving employers highly committed and highly trained qualified employees.
The importance of the Financial Services Industry to Scotland's economy is without doubt, contributing more than 8% of Scotland's GDP and employing more than one in ten of the workforces. Modern Apprenticeships will further strengthen Scotland's existing world-class workforce and enhance its profile as a leading financial centre.
Scott R Coghill FCIB, Director, CompliancePoint
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I have long held the view that work and life is a continuous learning experience. Learning is not just for younger people. In fact the pressure is increasingly on older cohorts. Since I drew a pension it has almost been like going back to college. I thought I knew a lot about pensions. I now realise that I did not. I cannot quite understand why the tax system is so complex for people that have retired. The cynic in me says that the state regards retirees as a soft touch.
Digby Jacks, Alliance for Finance - secretary
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After many years of appearing to be a second rate way of learning and achieving certification, the revamp of the Business and Administration standards effective from 01 August 2005 gives candidates from diverse organisations the option to choose units that pertain to their job role in the organisation. The candidate now has to achieve only two core units, carried out towards the end of the assessment process.
We should be encouraging Lifelong Learning. Future candidates are all likely to be in the older age ranges as the largest percentage of 16-18 year olds are being encouraged to stay in school. After several Intermediates they leave for college where they are likely to undertake media studies or beauty therapy, neither of which have any employment opportunities in this area. By the time they get into the "real world" a comment from more than one of my current candidates, they are too old to attract funding, have not used any previously and are being discriminated against.
From the previous 20+ age group learners I have dealt with 90% were returning to learning for the first time since leaving school. The flexibility of the programme that we offer at ITCA appeals to both the candidates and the companies. Unlike the other training provision in Grampian, we offer the European Computer Driving Licence as the enhancement for the Modern Apprenticeship, the SVQ Level 3 in Business and Administration and the updating of Core Skills in Communication, Numeracy, IT, Problem Solving and Working With Others to give them broad based, transferable skills.
We have a number of candidates from the same background and it will be a huge disappointment if the training programme is discontinued after the profiling of the success of others. This stop/start approach does not sit well with firms which start to question the validity of the qualification if it cannot attract government funding. It is also important to note that for some companies, if there is only funding for a specific age group, no one will end up getting any training as they cannot be seen to discriminate towards one age group. The candidates over 25 are more motivated, determined to succeed and worthy of the financial contribution I wish you to invest in their skills.
The example set to younger members of staff is excellent while the challenge is there to complete a workplace based qualification, which is on the SCQF, and more importantly demonstrates job competence.
The average length of the programme is 15-18 months following the same pattern as our already completed and partially completed candidates.
June Jones, Managing Director, ITCA Ltd
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Among the reasons are that people develop interest in different skills and professions at a later stage in their lives.
Older people can use apprenticeships for up-skilling purposes.
It provides opportunities for re-training from related financial services professions and/or non-related profession provided the will to learn is there.
We now live in lifelong learning age. A few years ago, a retired vicar did his PHD in theology at 93 years of age.
Why not, if the will, interest and good health are there?
All things are possible for him or her who believes and have all the relevant resources.
A. Dada
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The views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect those of the FSSC. The FSSC does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information and will accept no liability for any loss or damage incurred through the use of, or reliance upon, information contained | 
