1. Introduction
1.1. Equestrian Training Limited (ETL) is an Independent Training Provider delivering equine and customer service Apprenticeships, Study Programmes, Adult Education Programmes, Traineeships and stand-alone qualifications in the equine and rural sector in the North of England.
1.2. ETL is committed to engaging and working in partnership with employers to assist with their employees’ knowledge and skills development within the workplace for work experience, newly recruited apprentices, existing employees or as part of a study programme.
1.3. Employer engagement ensures each individual learning plan provides the skills, knowledge and behaviours individuals and employers need to achieve their aspirations and goals.
2. Aim
2.1. The aim of ETL’s Employer Engagement Strategy is to increase the engagement of employers in workforce development to ensure training provision meets the needs of local, regional and National needs of employers and provides individuals with the knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable them to contribute to the workplace, progress and achieve their career aims.
3. Scope
3.1. ETL engages employers in all aspects of the development, delivery and evaluation of training across all programmes. Information on how employers are involved in every stage of the learning journey are included in ETL’s Teaching and Learning Strategy.
3.2. Qualitative and quantitative feedback relating to each stage of training is continuously collected and reported to ensure ETL’s delivery programmes remain responsive to employer current and future workforce requirements and skills needs.
3.2. To ensure those seeking apprenticeships can access up to date information, ETL will promote apprenticeships with employers through the use of Find Apprenticeship Training and provide details of the curriculum offer on the ESFA’s Course Directory.
4. Methods of Engaging with Employers
4.1. Labour Market Information
4.1.1. ETL engages with a range of stakeholders and employers at National, regional and local level to gather and analyse labour market information, identify key customer groups and ensure the curriculum provision continues to deliver employer-responsive solutions.
4.1.2. LEP priorities inform regional priorities and employer Training Needs Analysis, conducted with equine and rural employers by ETL, provide specific employer training requirements.
4.1.3. Key stakeholders include the British Equestrian Federation and British Equestrian Trade Association and Cumbria and Lancashire Work-based Learning Forum.
4.2. Programme Delivery
4.2.1. This informs programme delivery to the equine and rural sector, which includes equine groom, senior groom and customer care practitioner Apprenticeship standards in Cumbria, Lancashire and Northumbria.
4.2.2. Delivery staff provide high quality training through robust recruitment and selection and training development processes. These ensure the staff designing and delivering training have the competencies to deliver up-to-date vocational and technical subject knowledge that reflects expected industry practice and meets employers’ needs.
5. Marketing and Communication
5.1. The ETL Marketing Plan is reviewed annually by the Director and Senior Training Advisors to ensure engagement with all stakeholders. Delivery of the plan is overseen by the Director and includes the design of marketing materials, website management, social media, press releases, employer forums and joint marketing campaigns including employer case studies, and Apprentice destination stories.
5.2. Senior Training Advisors and Training Consultants also distribute marketing information, advice and guidance through face to face meetings with Employers, workplace mentors and learners.
6. Curriculum Design
6.1. All training programmes are individually designed to meet the needs of the employer and learner(s).
6.2. Employers actively participate in the organisational and individual training needs analysis process.
6.3. Each Individual Learning Plan records the content, delivery methods, short, medium and long-term objectives and clearly sets out the expectation of high levels of employer involvement throughout the training programme.
7. Managing enquiries
7.1. ETL’s dedicated team attend a range of equestrian and careers events to provide information on the curriculum offer.
7.2. The team respond to enquiries from employers and learners and record all engagement on ETL’s Course Enquires System data which is monitored and progressed by senior training advisors.
8. Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)
8.1. ETL’s IAG policy has been developed in line with the Matrix Quality Standard criteria.
8.2. ETL maintains a current working knowledge of developments with Local Enterprise Partnerships, National Government, End Point Assessment Organisations, Awarding Organisations, British Equestrian Federation member bodies and British Equestrian Trade Association to inform employers of relevant changes.
8.3. ETL Senior Training Advisors and Office Manager update the information and disseminate through digital and print materials. The Director shares changes and updates during regular Team Meetings, CPD and Standardisation activities. Senior Training Advisors are responsible for disseminating changes to employers.
9. Training Delivery
9.1. Training requirements are identified and discussed with learners and employers and a timescale agreed to reflect any prior learning. Training and assessment programmes are devised with employer and learner to meet standards, workplace and learner requirements. Differentiated learning, regular monitoring and actively involving employers to ensure learners meet their target timescales. Twelve-weekly reviews with both learner and employer monitor progress and highlight any concerns. Actions and/ or amendments are agreed with all parties to support completion.
9.2. Online learning programmes improve accessibility of resources and encourage progression. Online trackers record progress in real time, enable learners and employers to be more engaged, enhance the tracking of learner progress and aid efficient administration.
9.3. Training Advisors delivering workplace training take a flexible approach to the delivery and assessment to meet the needs of the business and individual learner and keep the programme on track. Employers, assessors and apprentices update the learning programme following relevant activities.
9.4. Employers have access to learning records throughout the training journey via One File learning platform. They are also actively involved in the review of training meetings held every 10-12 weeks with the learner and Training Advisor to identify progress, measure impact and agree further training delivery or additional learning requirements. Such as: learners accessing individual learner support, enhanced employer engagement activity, CPD and additional teaching resources for delivery.
9.5. Senior Training Advisors carryout observations of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure teaching and learning strategies motivate, stimulate learners and delivery relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours which meet the employers’ requirements.
10. Training Evaluation
10.1. Employers are encouraged to feedback to ETL throughout the learning programme and are required to participate in the regular face to face progress meetings. Feedback is collected via meetings, mid-programme employer surveys and progression/completion surveys. ETL Quality Processes include clear guidelines to ensure Senior Managers to respond promptly to feedback in order to improve services.
11. Roles and Responsibilities
11.1. Director
11.1.1. Reviews the Employer Engagement Strategy effectiveness annually as part of the whole organisation Self-Assessment Process and ensure all staff have access to this document. The Directors and Senior training Advisors are responsible for ensuring the adherence to the policy by all employees.
11.2. Senior Training Advisors
11.2.1. Senior training Advisors are responsible ensuring Training Advisors liaise with employers effectively, feedback and frequently asked questions are gathered though reviews and issues resolved appropriately in order to improve services.
11.3. Office Manager / Senior Training Advisors
11.3.1. Are responsible for the reviewing the effectiveness of ELT’s Marketing Strategy providing with bi-monthly reports to the Management Team.
11.3.2. All initial enquiries from employers and learners are responded to by the office manager and Training Advisors. Free organisational training needs analysis is available for new, previous and current employers to identify training needs. ETL also offers a free recruitment service to market employer vacancies, short list applicants and assist with interviews if required.
11.3.3. The team run joint marketing campaigns and events with employers to promote the sector and workplace opportunities to sector skill gaps. Senior Training Advisors continue to work alongside Training Advisors to provide employers and learners with ongoing information, advice and guidance on further learning opportunities and, where appropriate identify alternative employment opportunities.
11.4. Training Advisors
11.4.1. Are responsible for involving employers (or their representatives) in progress reviews and maintaining good working relationships with learner workplace mentors. Each individual is required to act in accordance with ETL employer engagement processes. Failure to do so may be considered as an act of misconduct and may result in disciplinary action.
11.5. Office Manager
11.5.1. Monitor and provide monthly reports to Director on Employer Engagement data including:
retention of existing employers in training
re-engagement of employers previously involved in training with ETL
engagement of new employers
employer satisfaction relating to training and services provided
employer engagement in session/reviews.