IOL Organisational Members and AHOEC Members are invited to nominate one member of their team to be part of the FREE ONLINE Workforce Training Employer Group for apprenticeships and staff training. Members will be part of a email list where they can ask questions and get answers from the outdoor trailblazer employer group, the IOL team and colleagues facing similar issues such as apprenticeship funding, training options, recruitment, etc.
To register as part of the group email IOL using the link provided with the name of your organisation and the name and email address of the person who you are nominating to be a member of the Trainee and Apprentice Development Employer Group.
Developing the Outdoor Activity Instructor Apprenticeship
Built over the last 2 years by a wide range of outdoor employers, the result is a fit-for-purpose funded training route for entry level roles across the breadth of outdoor instructional work in England. The full group of 49 employers represented a range and variety of businesses and products prevalent in the sector and were led by Employer Chair Mark Lavington (PGL) with guidance and project management from Neal Anderson (IOL).
Development for the Outdoor Activity Instructor Apprenticeship involved employers donating time and expertise - Working Group members, 8 days each; Trailblazer Chair, 50 days; IOL support, 20 days plus Project Management (approx £30,000); and Consultancy (£8,500) offset by financial contributions (total £9,500) from AHOEC, Inspiring Learning and PGL. Many employers and training organisations are set to benefit from this input and at an estimate of 600 starts per year, the new outdoor activity instructor apprenticeship is likely to bring in an additional £2.76 million of funding per year into the sector.
The following organisations all played an active part in the project working group:
IOL (Neal Anderson), PGL (Mark Lavington), Pioneer Sailing Trust (David Tournay), Heatree Activity Centre (Roger Hopper), Lindley Educational Trust (Andy Robinson), Field Studies Council (Claire Fowler), Inspiring Learning (Matt Healey/Robert Sidley), Peak District National Park (Sarah Wilkes), Lake District Calvert Trust (Sean Day), JCA Adventure (Steve Parry), Channel Training (Darren Sherwood/Jim Whittaker), Plas y Brennin (Mike Raine), Action 4 Youth (Steve Randles), Haven Banks OEC (John Seers), Kendal College (Re Barnard), Locomotivation (Rhia Jones/Claire Kefford)