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tags: general
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# Split out first 3 weeks of programme

> Dan, draft, 5/8/2020 - WIP

Run the first 3 weeks of the programme as a pre-apprentice bootcamp.

## Why?

In initial conversations with employers, it turns out that 16-week block training is unusual. Employers may not want apprentices to stay with us for too long, given that they are being paid as employees of the company.

The minimum training requirement of an apprentice is 20% of their time. Over 12 months, this equates to around 9 weeks, allowing for holidays. Over 18 months, it's around 14 weeks. Apprentices may also be expected to do some top-up learning and ongoing pastoral care with us after the initial training, which together means that some employers may not want the initial training block being 16 weeks long.

All this means that some employers may ask us to condense our initial training time.

Separately, apprentices need to be hired before they can start on an apprenticeship, which means that they need to go through the interview process.

A possible solution to both the training problem and the apprentice preparation problem is to run the first 3 weeks of the programme as a stand-alone pre-apprenticeship bootcamp, with an additional week of interview prep.

## How?
- Week 1-3: As on the current programme
- Week 4: employment preparation
- Weeks 5-6: interviews with apprenticeship partners

## When?
It is important that graduates of our coaching programme are ready for it, which means that running it in January/February would probably make sense. Another possibility might be November/December.

## Who?
We would run it, potentially supported by FAC20 graduates.

## Costs
At the very least, it will require a facilitator for a month, so a minimum of £2,500 + significant additional staff time, so probably no less than £5,000.

## Benefits
1. Reduce the length of the apprenticeship without diminishing its usefulness;
2. Better preparation of apprentice candidates before they interview with employers.

## Challenges
1. It would almost certainly mean running the first 3 weeks of the programme twice: once for apprentices and once for other learners;
2. The apprentices would be joining the programme at Week 4 after the other half of the cohort has got to know each other.

## Risks
What are the risks of this proposal?

| Risk | Mitigation | Impact | Likelihood |
| -------- | :-------- | :--------: | :--------: |
| We do not have the resources to run it | Identify somebody in advance to run it | Moderate | Moderate |
| We cannot afford to run it | Ensure that we deliver on our GLA contract | High | Low |
| Disrupts the classroom dynamic | Get both groups to meet up | Moderate | Moderate |

## Opportunities

| Opportunity | Impact | Likelihood |
| -------- | :--------: | :--------: |
| Better-prepared apprentice applicants | High | Very high |
| Fewer impediments to signing up partners | High | High |

## Meetings notes

### Critical concerns