Sectors can now bid for a share of the fund to support the creation of new flexible apprenticeships. The fund will establish a small number of agencies that will set up new flexi-job apprenticeships so an apprentice can work across a range of projects and with different employers to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need.
The fund will make £7m available in England across 2021-22 and 2022-23. Organisations can apply for funding of between £100,000 and £1m to set up the new flexi-job apprenticeship agencies.
Some sectors with flexible employment patterns and short-term roles have found it challenging to benefit from the opportunities available with traditional apprenticeships.
The new approach would enable an apprentice in construction to fulfil several contracts to complete their apprenticeship – such as working on a home refurbishment or a project for an office block.
Minister for apprenticeships and skills Gillian Keegan said: “We want to build an apprenticeship system that enables everyone to get the experience and knowledge they require to get the job they want, while ensuring employers have a diverse talent pipeline to meet their skills needs.
“Our flexi-job apprenticeships will unleash exciting new opportunities in sectors such as the creative industries and construction where employment is increasingly flexible and project-based, while also helping larger organisations to grow starts in their supply chains, levelling up chances for people to build the life they want.”
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