Back Back

Employers come to the rescue during testing times

11/02/2021

University of Wolverhampton Degree Apprentices were offered a helping hand by their employers recently who stepped in to help with Functional Skills testing.

Four Degree Apprentices have been supported by their employers, including Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council and Barhale, who carried out the supervision of exams in the workplace.

Michele Roberts, Head of the University’s Apprenticeship Hub, said: “Testing sessions for Functional Skills normally take place on Campus and are supervised by University staff but due to the lockdown restrictions imposed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent suspension of physical exams and assessments, alternative arrangements needed to be considered.

“During this period, it was great to see some employers agreeing to support their Apprentices by carrying out the invigilation, with line managers completing all the necessary paperwork associated to ensure that the testing could go ahead. This meant that Apprentices didn’t have to travel to Campus for tests and could complete their Apprenticeship.

“This may pave the way for a more flexible approach in the future, especially for those employers who are not based locally.”

Mihai Ichim, Regional HSEQ Manager at Barhale, said: “Despite Covid-19’s widespread impact on the industry, it was reassuring that we could develop and implement measures to aid our colleague’s Learning and Development journey throughout the crisis.

“At Barhale, we have been determined to minimise the effects of the pandemic on both our employees and on society at large and we will continue to do so in the future, including by collaborating closely with partner institutions such as the University of Wolverhampton.”

The University supports Apprentices to achieve their Functional Skills qualifications in Maths and English so that they can study an Apprenticeship at degree level to further their careers.

The University of Wolverhampton works with over 350 employers and has over 900 Degree Apprentices studying on 17 Degree Apprenticeships covering a range of sectors including healthcare, digital, manufacturing engineering, construction and the built environment. Check out the website for more information on courses available.

ENDS

 

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

Share this release

Related Stories