The core offer of the Co-Curricula Award is a structured framework for apprentices to complete their compulsory 20% off-the-job requirement with high-quality learning and activities that cover the whole built environment spectrum, beyond simply the discipline they are apprenticing in.
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There is a significant industry opportunity to utilise non-term time learning to introduce apprentices to other disciplines, innovations, specialisms and skills to address the silo approach of construction in a meaningful and practical way. The Co-Curricula Award has been designed specifically to give a structure to this time, setting challenging objectives for apprentices to discover more about related areas of the built environment, to develop research skills and demonstrate their initiative. The Award recognises the significance of apprentices’ Commitment Statements and statutory reporting to their training provider, and it has been developed with these processes in mind.
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An apprenticeship is a job with a formal programme of training. As set out in “English apprenticeships: our 2020 vision”, published in 2015, the requirement for at least 20% off-the-job training is one of our core, and well established, principles that underpins a quality apprenticeship. The 20% threshold is the minimum amount of time that should be spent doing off-the-job training during an apprenticeship and this applies to both apprenticeship frameworks and apprenticeship standards. All apprenticeship standards have been developed under the guidance that they are sufficiently stretching to require at least a year of employment, with off-the-job training accounting for at least 20% of the apprentice’s employed time. This requirement applies to apprenticeships at all levels.– UK Department for Education
The framework is recognised at three award levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold – populated with activities and opportunities from four core themes: Local Engagement, Thought Leadership, Advanced Skills, and Research. Apprentices are supported by a mentor from another discipline within the construction industry, who adds ideas, contacts and encouragement to the apprentice’s Award activity.
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