COVID-19 Update for Employers and Apprentices

With effect from the 25 February 2022 staff, learners and customers will no longer be required to:

Take twice weekly LFD tests (previously Monday and Wednesday mornings).
Have their temperature taken on arrival at site or wear face coverings.

To keep our customers, apprentices, staff and community safe, we are taking extra measures to prevent the spread of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19. These include:

Classrooms to have good ventilation with open windows and doors propped open where possible so not to disrupt delivery.
Staff are required to ensure cleaning of all surface areas after every use with anti bac wipes/sprays in communal areas, classrooms including all desks, photocopiers etc to ensure good hygiene.
Sanitising stations remain and the continued message of washing hands regularly.
Cleaning continues throughout the day and current operating times of 8am-16.15pm will continue.

Commercial Courses: As the employers we support, operate in critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing, we continue to offer Commercial Courses that are license to practice and are essential to keeping the country operating and supporting vital sectors and employers.

Can existing employees wanting to start their Apprenticeship be enrolled?

Enrolments will be discussed on an individual basis.

How will training be delivered?

All day release / block release training for apprentices will take place either remotely or in centre. Plans and timetables will be discussed with each learner and employer.

What will happen to existing training or review visits that are planned?

These will be completed either face to face or remotely via Microsoft Teams or via telephone.

What technology do you use?

Every apprentice has a OneFile e-portfolio account where apprentices, supervisors and our tutors can see and manage learning and progress. Work will continue to be set via OneFile for all apprentices. We will also use Microsoft Teams (where applicable) to deliver training sessions and one-to-one sessions remotely. We will also speak to apprentices via telephone. We also use a variety of online learning resources to enhance online learning such as Nearpod.

What about classroom sessions?

All classroom sessions for apprentices will take place remotely or in centre. Plans and timetables will be discussed with each learner and employer.

Will exams and end-point assessment take place as normal?

All EPA’s will still take place remotely or in centre. All other exams E.g. Functional Skills, Technical Certificate exams will take place in centre.

What if the apprentice becomes ill or needs to self-isolate?

Apprenticeships are designed to work around interruptions such as illness and holidays. Where a longer break (of a month or more) is needed, a formal “break in learning” is possible. Apprentices who are working at home can continue as normal with their Apprenticeship.

How will we review progress?

Regular progress reviews are a crucial part of each Apprenticeship and these will take place either face to face, remotely via Microsoft Teams or telephone.

Will apprentices be able to complete their Apprenticeship on time?

Unless apprentices are unwell for a protracted period (more than a month) or if they are unable to obtain work place evidence required for the NVQ/skills criteria or EPA then their apprenticeship should finish has planned. If there are delays to exam sittings or end-point assessment, then end dates may be delayed in some cases.

Where face-to-face visits do take place, what guidance has Alliance Learning given to its staff to minimise risk?

Face-to-face visits will be taking place where appropriate and depending on Company COVID Risk Assessments being in place. Tutors will also be adapting assessment methods (where applicable) and speaking to employers and learners via Microsoft teams and via telephone.

Who should I contact at Alliance Learning if I have any questions?

We understand that COVID-19 may give rise to a range of questions and our experienced team is on hand to support. In most cases, the first port of call will be your Alliance Learning Account Manager or Subject Specialist Tutor. We also have specialist available for the following queries:

For questions relating to apprentice welfare, our safeguarding team: ashley.swift@alliancelearning.com / lauren.brophy@alliancelearning.com

For questions relating to IT/online access, our digital content team: paul.chapman@alliancelearning.com

You can also reach us on email for general enquiries at support@alliancelearning.com

UPDATE: