The latest version of the Level 3 Print Technician Standard has received final approval from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). The revised standard broadens the scope of learning and skills development for the apprentice and will be available from 1 November.
The key changes that have been made to the standard are: the addition of duties - essentially a detailed job description; an increase in the number of knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) statements required by the apprentice; more comprehensive KSB statements; a more rigorous assessment plan.
James Buffoni, chair of the consortium that has worked on the new standard, said: “Skills and attracting new people into the industry is a perennial challenge. Modern apprenticeship standards are important both to ensure employers have the skills for the future and to ensure our sector is an attractive career choice.”
Reaching this point has been a lengthy process, involving many negotiations with IfATE. The consortium - spearheaded by the BPIF - worked to ensure that employers’ needs were addressed in a way that both met IfATE’s requirements, and the particular skills needs of the sector going forward. The consortium also needed to ensure Government understood the skills critical to the future success of the sector could not be addressed via generic machine operations or manufacturing apprenticeships.