Guidance for hosting Foundation Apprenticeships

Foundation Apprenticeships are currently linked to growth sectors of the Scottish economy, so young people are getting industry experience, which will help them kick-start a successful career in their chosen field. You can find out more about the types of FAs offered via the Apprenticeship.Scot website.

Unemployment rates in Scotland are significantly higher for young people compared with adults. To change this, employers need to support pupils to build the skills they’ll need to be successful when they leave school and enter the world of work.

For young people, it’s the chance to get a head start on their careers by gaining a qualification, work on real projects and broaden their career options.

And for employers like us, it’s the chance to attract highly motivated and committed young people who are willing to learn, identify young people who are right for their business and ensure their organisation has people with the skills needed.

Argyll and Bute Council is committed to supporting Foundation Apprenticeships to:

• • Help develop work‑ready skills and meta‑skills (skills of the future) in young people
  • Contribute to early talent pipelines and future recruitment potential
  • Build links with schools, colleges and learning providers
  • Gain fresh ideas and perspectives from young learners
  • Incur no training costs for Foundation Apprenticeships as they are fully funded
  • Promote FAs as a potential progression route into Modern or Graduate Apprenticeships.
•  

Further information on the SQA website about Foundation Apprenticeships

Hosting a Foundation Apprentice helps the council to:

• Promote local government career paths early
• Support our local young people into the world of work
• Develop future talent pipelines aligned with our workforce needs
• Contribute to national skills and employability priorities
• Strengthen our links with schools and colleges

Foundation Apprenticeships are delivered through a partnership model involving:

• The school
• A learning provider (college, local authority or independent provider)
• The council as the employer

Learners typically:

• Attend the workplace around one day per week (or block placements)
• Complete work‑based projects or tasks aligned to their qualification
• Are assessed in the workplace by the learning provider or assessor

Managers should refer to the ‘Manager’s FA checklist’ when hosting a placement however in general managers are expected to:

Provide meaningful work‑based learning

• Offer real, age‑appropriate tasks and projects
• Allow learners to observe and put workplace skills into practice
• Support development of communication, teamwork, reliability and problem‑solving

Support supervision and mentoring

• Identify a workplace supervisor or mentor
• Provide clear instructions and regular check‑ins
• Give informal feedback and encouragement throughout the placement

This does not need to be the line manager, but responsibility should be clear from the outset before the apprenticeship starts.

Work in partnership

• Liaise with the learning provider and school
• Support assessment where required
• Raise concerns early if issues arise with attendance, conduct, or support needs

Provide a safe and supportive environment

• Offer a welcoming, inclusive environment
• Ensure work is age‑appropriate and supervised
• Follow all relevant council health and safety requirements
• Treat learners with dignity, respect and professionalism
• Be mindful that learners are still in school and developing confidence during their time with us

Hosting managers are expected to:

• Provide meaningful tasks that expose the student to real council work
• Help them understand how the service operates
• Encourage development of meta‑skills such as:
  • communication
  • teamwork
  • time‑keeping
  • confidence
  • problem‑solving

Foundation Apprentices should help students observe, practice, reflect and learn.

It is important managers understand that Foundation Apprentices:

• are not employees nor are they paid for the placement
• should not be used to cover staff shortages
• are not expected to work unsupervised
• should not be given inappropriate responsibility

• should not be given access to sensitive systems or information unless agreed and appropriate

They are learners, and the focus should be on learning and development, not output.

The learning provider remains responsible for qualification delivery and assessment.

• Work placements are pre‑agreed with schools and providers
• Attendance usually follows a set timetable
• Clear start/end times help learners build good workplace habits
• Services should be flexible around:
  • exams
  • school commitments
  • transport arrangements
  • school holidays

Managers hosting FA placements should:

• Follow safeguarding and health & safety guidance provided by the learning provider
• Report any concerns promptly via agreed channels
• Understand that behavioural issues are usually managed jointly with the provider and school, not unilaterally by the council as the employer
• Remember young people may be experiencing a workplace for the first time

When organising FA placements, services should consider the availability and restrictions of ICT access for students.  

Network, Email and Internet access 

Students cannot have access to the Council’s corporate network or to business applications, as these are only available to employees and consultants or agency staff that have signed an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and have a network account and MS365 license. 

Students do however have email accounts on the learning and teaching platform, GLOW, and access to MS365 applications within the GLOW network. This would be recommended for FA placement related communications and where it is necessary to send relevant documents or information resources to deliver the work placement outcomes. GLOW can be accessed from a student’s personal device and from home, and internet access from a council building or office can be facilitated using the council’s Guest wifi network.  

Laptops and other devices 

If a student requires a device to undertake the work placement, then they may bring their own device (laptop, iPad, tablet or mobile) and connect to the Guest wifi service in the council office. If they don’t have a suitable device then please contact the IT team who can arrange for an internet enabled device to be available for the duration of the FA placement that will connect to the internet using Guest Wi-Fi.

The council operates in a flexible hybrid working model with half of council roles operating in a hybrid way, some work fully remotely, and some take a blended approach of working both onsite and from home. Whilst we recognise that flexibility is highly valued especially for those with geographically split teams, we aim to balance the flexibility of staff with the benefit of in-person collaboration. A Foundation Apprenticeships is an ideal opportunity for this to happen ensuring we can fulfil our commitment to young people.

Given the degree of flexibility that our hybrid working arrangements provide, we require staff to also be flexible. Thereby it is expected that where reasonably practicable, team members who operate remotely will work onsite for an agreed number of days / hours for placement activities requiring in-person participation. In such cases staff should be given as much notice as possible to make arrangements to attend their designated admin base or council venue in which the placement will take place.  

It is important to note that placements should be determined based on the hours of work of staff and school hours and should not exceed these.  

For further information regarding hybrid working please refer to the council’s Hybrid and Flexible Working policy on MCW. 

Safeguarding during Foundation apprenticeship placements involves a collaborative effort between schools and the council to protect students, including conducting pre-placement risk assessments, ensuring appropriate supervision and open communication, allowing adequate breaks and promptly addressing any concerns or safety issues. 

As a manager, you are already aware that it is a legal requirement for organisations to risk assess work related tasks as well as the workplace for all employees. In addition, we need to ensure that appropriate insurance covers are in place both within the workplace or in Council vehicles. Foundation Apprenticeships placements are no different as school students are considered employees whilst they are participating in the scheme. Not only is it important to protect the young person but also to ensure that the council and its employees are also covered.  

The Corporate Health and Safety team may carry out checks for all new placements and can also provide advice and guidance in accordance with current national legislation in relation to Foundation Apprenticeship placements and arrangements.  

Site visits can be undertaken where necessary to help you check that appropriate arrangements are in place and to ensure students are safeguarded. General Guidance on Health and Safety can be accessed on MyCouncilWorks and you can also contact the H&S team at healthandsafety@argyll-bute.gov.uk for any H&S related queries.  

As part of the FA placement, students should be given time to reflect on their experience with the council, and they should be invited to suggest ways in which our approach to Foundation Apprenticeships could be enhanced.