ELP International
Summary
The English experience of developing apprenticeships is admired throughout the world. AELP has recently been involved in arranging trade missions for delivery organisations, service providers and awarding organisations to the USA, which is taking a keen interest in the development of their own apprenticeship programme and is increasingly looking to the English model for guidance.
Two trips have now taken place to Washington, Maryland and Missouri, and a further delegation to California is currently in the planning stage for Spring 2019.
A number of our members are now actively engaged in discussions to expand their operations on the basis of these visits, utilising their expertise and experience to the benefit of American employers and learners, with one already now operating in San Francisco.
“AELP International” has now been brought together to co-ordinate the interests of our members who have TVET service or delivery interests outside the UK. A dedicated Special Interest Group of members meets on a regular basis and has been addressed by a range of international TVET specialists to both disseminate good practice and to communicate opportunities for working with international partners. This includes support from colleagues at the Department for International Trade.
In particular, our partnership with Franklin Associates is now an integral part of our apprenticeship work with partners in the United States, and it is anticipated that a regular series of missions will be arranged to the USA over the coming years to capitalise on the growing interest in the English apprenticeship system.
AELP has had considerable previous involvement in international collaborations with partners across Europe to deliver specialist train-the-trainer materials, and to improve employer engagement in the delivery of TVET training. Most recently we have been working with government agencies in Cyprus and Poland to build employer support helpdesks which are already having positive effects on the numbers and quality of opportunities being offered to young people in technical training.
We believe it our responsibility as the primary trade body for work-based learning providers in England to ensure that we identify opportunities for growth and business for our members, disseminate good practice and facilitate the expertise within our TVET system to contribute to global development priorities.
We would very much welcome contact from any international partners that may wish to tap into the services we offer.
