Government Axes Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship
The Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship is one of sixteen apprenticeships that will be defunded as ministers attempt to divert training funding towards young people.
Work and Pensions secretary Pat McFadden announced the “biggest transformation of apprenticeships in a decade” alongside a £2.5 billion expansion of the youth guarantee and growth & skills levy.
Sadly, there was no consultation or look at the impact the decision will have. The proposed defunding of the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship risks causing disproportionate harm to a small but socially valuable sector at the point when the standard is beginning to gain traction with employers. The standard prepares practitioners to design and deliver outdoor learning programmes that support educational achievement; it also aligns with professional recognition through the Institute for Outdoor Learning.
The IOL has prepared a briefing paper and asks you to contact your local MP and ask them to to press for one of three actions:
- A pause in defunding this standard to allow proper consultation with the sector.
- A longer transition period to protect learners already in recruitment pipelines.
- A specific exemption for small and specialist standards where current employer demand is not reflected in historic starts.
