Evaluation of Modern Apprenticeships and Skillseekers: final report

The Skillseekers programme aimed to encourage young people leaving education to enter training and secure higher levels of skills and qualifications. The Modern Apprenticeships for 16-24 year olds (MAs) and the Adult Modern Apprenticeships (Adult MA) programmes aimed to equip (young) adults with intermediate level skills. The evaluation aimed to assess the impact and performance of the three programmes with regard to costs and benefits, and their contribution to: the upskilling of young people and adults; the workforce development needs of businesses; and the Scottish economy.

The methodology consisted of: an analysis of the Corporate Training System (CTS) monitoring data; a telephone survey of trainees and employers; in-depth case studies with employers; consultations with SEN; and discussions with key stakeholders.

The programmes demonstrate good performance and are highly regarded by trainees and participating employers. Identifies that the main impact identified by participating employers was in relation to productivity. The total net additional value added generated by the three programmes amounts to £10.3m. Additionality is highest in Skillseekers at just under half, around a third in MAs and just over a quarter in Adult MAs. Concludes there is further room for improvement and challenges for the future.

Recommends SE and delivery partners should consider: revisiting the programmes’ principal aims and objectives; re-evaluating credit values; that training which involves more accreditation of existing skills is not good value; reviewing the planning process; estimating demand for Level 2 and 3 qualifications; whether extended ‘trial periods’ makes the participation of more disadvantaged clients less likely; a renewed marketing campaign; developing employer champions; why potential synergies between programmes within employing units are not being exploited; the appropriate resource allocation and numbers participating across the programmes; changing the structure of the CTS data; monitoring the action plan’s impact; and introducing a short trial period into Skillseekers.