Apprenticeships and other training programmes also provide an opportunity for existing employees to develop valuable mentoring, guidance and supervisory skills. Many employees welcome the opportunity to 'up-skill' since they realise the benefits this brings them as individuals, aside from the overall benefit to the company.

You will receive advice from us on the legislative requirements relating to Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities that affect employers as well as Apprentices and other training programmes. We produce a quarterly newsletter where we aim to provide general information on these and other areas which may be of interest to you. You can speak with one of our Training Advisors at any time for specific help and guidance.

You may be interested in either an apprenticeship or other training programmes. Typically an apprentice would work in your company for up to 4 days a week, for between 9 to 18 months. The time it takes for them to achieve their apprenticeship, and therefore the time they spend with you, will depend on their own individual ability.

At all times we will work in partnership with you and your learner to ensure all parties are supported and well informed. We provide all employers with a comprehensive 'Work Placement Pack'. This will help you gain the most from engaging with work-based learning. Whatever programme you are interested in, the following should give you an idea of the activities you can expect to be involved in. The level of your involvement will obviously depend on the length of time you have a learner in your workplace.

• Before a learner is able to join your company on work placement it is necessary for us to take a Health and Safety risk assessment on the premises and the organisation. This typically takes an hour of your time and often companies find it a useful tool to use in ensuring that health and safety within the organisation is of a good standard.
• On the first day of your learner starting you will need to provide a Health and Safety Induction. We can help you with this if necessary.
• On a daily basis you will need to supervise, guide and allocate work to your learner. You will also need to monitor their attendance and view their work-based record (for apprentices) or experience log (for other training programmes).
• On a monthly basis you will become involved in your learner's reviews and assessments.
• Periodically we will ask you to provide 'witness' statements to confirm you have observed your apprentice carrying out tasks relevant to the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) they are studying as part of their apprenticeship. We may also ask you to provide us with feedback on our programmes.

If you are interested in supporting an apprentice or other training programmes learners' please speak with Jo Goddard, our Training Coordinator Liaison and Development Officer, on 020 7639 1007 or e-mail jo.goddard@springboard-st.org.

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