Government publishes its response to the Flexi-Job Apprenticeships consultation

Following the consultation published by the Department for Education (DfE) earlier this year on the new flexi-job apprenticeship scheme, they have now published their response to the submissions made, including that of the REC.

Based on the content of the response, the new scheme does appear to fall somewhat short of an offering that can benefit the recruitment industry as a whole, and in particular the temporary workforce supplied by the industry. The structure of the apprenticeship remains a stumbling block for the recruitment industry, particularly the requirement for 20% off the job training and the issue of who is responsible for paying the temporary workers when they are between assignments. For internal permanent staff that a recruitment agency may wish to train, the flexi-job apprenticeship appears to offer little benefit compared to the traditional apprenticeship model.

However, some agencies in sectors where there is frequent project-based work may be able to benefit from the new scheme. The government's response states:

“Flexi-job apprenticeship agencies should ultimately fill gaps which lead to new starts in areas where there is unmet demand for apprenticeships due to the propensity of short-term or temporary contracts. In response to the consultation, flexi-job apprenticeship agencies may also support employers who are unable to fulfil or commit to the full standard or length of time needed to complete an apprenticeship, have short-term restrictions on employee numbers or headcount, or lack of expertise or time to select and recruitment apprentices.”

This means that in sectors such as construction, agencies could partner with a number of their clients over a series of projects to flexibly offer a candidate an apprenticeship. In some scenarios, members would be able to act as the co-ordinator for their clients on training.

Where recruitment businesses are interested in registering to become registered flexi-job apprenticeship providers they can apply from Tuesday 3rd August 2021. Applications can be made through the DfE eTendering Portal and must be submitted no later than 12pm on Wednesday 6th October 2021. This guidance has been published for businesses on how to apply.

At the REC we would be interested to know how many recruiters are planning to register to become flexi-job apprenticeship providers. Please answer the survey popup question on this page to confirm whether this is something you are planning to register for.