Bally Bhogal leads two courses on Effective Governance of Apprenticeships, as part of the ETF’s Apprenticeship Workforce Development (AWD) Programme – one version for managers and the other for senior leaders. With a background in business support, as well as further education and skills, Bally knows from first-hand experience how complex apprenticeships can be to deliver and how to combine all the elements to give apprentices a quality experience.
Where have you gained your experience of apprenticeship programmes?
I’ve been involved in apprenticeship delivery and skills support from both sides of the coin – working directly with employers and being part of various training providers (colleges and private training organisations) delivering apprenticeships. I started out in business support in Business Links and Chambers of Commerce and then I joined an apprenticeship team in a college, working on employer engagement before moving to a private training provider delivering apprenticeships to Jaguar Land Rover and Next Retail.
I’ve experienced everything from selling apprenticeships, enrolling learners, delivering training, onboarding and managing subcontractors, to leadership, management and governance of apprenticeships. At one stage, I even had my own team of apprentices who came joint-second in the national Brathay challenge, against apprentices from large corporate organisations. Having been promoted into the senior leadership team, that’s where I learnt what it means to oversee apprenticeship programmes and how to ensure that quality flows through the whole delivery process.
Have you seen what happens when things go wrong?
Yes, I’ve seen ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of apprenticeship delivery. I’ve been part of programmes that have been Ofsted graded good to outstanding and I’ve also had to deal with ‘claw back’ of funding due to lack of evidence around the completion of learning activities. Unfortunately, I’ve seen first-hand what happens when you use poor quality subcontractors and when you are not tracking key performance indicators (KPIs).
What do you do now?
I lead a consultancy business that helps new and existing providers with everything from apprenticeship programme design and set-up, to managing delivery, monitoring performance and governing operations with confidence – the whole infrastructure framework from start to end. We help new providers to get started, but also current providers to identify where there may be problems or issues and how to fix them – all using our specialist range of audits, diagnostics and online training modules.
What do you cover in the courses for the ETF’s AWD Programme?
We have developed two courses on Effective Governance of Apprenticeships with feedback and insights from provider focus group sessions. One is a recorded webinar for senior leaders and governors so they can learn flexibly around their schedules. The other, is a live, three-hour online event for managers. I’ve run several of these and they are extremely popular, with lots of practical hints and tips, as well as networking opportunities and interaction between providers.
We review the key risks and complexities of apprenticeship delivery, why you need performance data, how to use data to improve performance and the roles and responsibilities of leaders and governors. It’s a great course, as we get to discuss best practice, plan actions and confirm tangible takeaways to be getting on with post-event!
Do you have a particular approach?
I’ve always thought of apprenticeships as being like icebergs. What you see on the surface is just a fraction of the activity that’s needed for successful and effective delivery! There are so many moving parts that all have to fit together to make apprenticeships work. From my own experience, I’ve developed an apprenticeship training provider business model which reflects the full infrastructure required to deliver apprenticeships.
It’s called Spectrum-39™ as there are 39 distinct components that make up the framework covering key themes such as leadership and management, quality, curriculum, operations and outcomes. We use this framework to work with providers on a holistic basis to design, deliver, manage, monitor and govern apprenticeships.
Why does good leadership and governance of apprenticeship programmes matter for the sector?
It’s about accountability for public money and about delivering good outcomes for learners. If you receive public funding for apprenticeships, then every penny must be accounted for and spent according to the guidance and rules. Sadly, we’ve all seen examples of shocking headlines around sub-standard delivery and poor value for money from apprenticeships.
It’s the responsibility of senior leaders and governors within learning providers to scrutinise and challenge what is happening operationally against the strategic vision and to be in a position to ask the right questions. If apprenticeships are not performing well, it could be for several reasons including how the provider is being managed, or rather not being managed, from above. Ultimately that’s not beneficial for apprentices, employers, the provider and the reputation of the sector.
To find out more about AWD courses, visit the ETF’s learning platform at: https://learning.etfoundation.co.uk/