Capita’s Knowledgepool is Europe’s leading managed learning services provider.
We support over 8,000 apprentices to achieve their respective apprenticeship programmes every year across a broad range of subjects.
Our portfolio of products includes Professional Services, Business Administration, Customer Service, Financial Services, Retail Banking, Accountancy and Leadership & Management.
Eighty percent of our learners study for the Public Service Operational Delivery Officer Level 3 apprenticeship. This programme is specifically aimed at people working in front line public services for central and local government. Our impressive client portfolio includes government departments such as HMRC, Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Justice.
Challenge
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic our skilled and experienced Talent Coaches regularly visited learners in the workplace to provide face-to-face support, complemented by a variety of blended learning interventions which includes access to a range of necessary online resources. Each of our coaches supports between 40-50 learners at any one time. They are there to help each apprentice achieve their overall apprenticeship programme and respective goals.
In February 2020 early signs were pointing towards a nationwide lockdown. We knew that we would need to adapt our delivery model rapidly to support our learners, while ensuring that the quality of our teaching and learning didn’t suffer.
We looked at each apprenticeship programme individually and analysed each part of the learning journey from enrolment to completion. We wanted to make sure that we remained ‘learner-led’, so developed steering groups with our learners, Talent Coaches and clients so we could listen to learner feedback and adapt our content and materials accordingly.
We introduced and launched a new learning platform to hold a whole host of new online content for our apprentices to access. We focused on developing accessible content that was appropriate for digital delivery. To make it as simple as possible for users, we included Single Sign On so they could have everything easily accessible at the touch of a button.
Providing engaging and valuable resources was a priority for us, as the switch to complete digital delivery would need to keep learners engaged and spark their enthusiasm for continued learning, particularly as many apprentices were now working from home. We adopted new authoring tools to ensure a variety of teaching and learning methods and content types, helping our learners gain a deep understanding of the theories and practices they need to demonstrate within the workplace.
We also up-skilled our Talent Coaches so they fully understood the new content available and could continue to guide each learner through the activities they needed to complete each month.
Impact
The feedback from clients and learners has been hugely positive.
“These amazing apprentices completed their end point assessments while facing a range of challenges following Covid-19. They embraced their learning; committing time through a mixture at home, in the office and through a virtual environment with amazing outcomes. A huge thankyou to our Talent Coach for her constant support and dedication from all of us here at HMPO.” Her Majesty’s Passport Office
Our learners tell us they feel more in control of their learning and can progress at their own pace. Those with additional learning needs feel supported, as we are able to complete an assessment with them before they start their qualification and provide additional personalised support. Our Talent Coaches are also very happy with the new approach and appreciate the guidance we give.
Future
We’ll continue to be led by our clients and learners in adapting our apprenticeship programmes in the future. Many of our clients don’t envisage a complete return to physical offices in the near future and are adapting their working practices to suit. We’re confident that our new digital offering is providing both our clients and learners with the support they need and, by continuing to take a flexible and agile approach, we will be able to tailor our programmes to suit the needs of each client and their employees.
Our apprenticeships have seen a huge increase over recent years and the government’s kick-starter jobs plan shows it understands the value an apprenticeship has. We will continue to play our part in training and up-skilling individuals to meet their goals.
To find out more about Knowledgepool and the apprenticeships we provide, please visit the Knowledgepool website.
