Just over four in five of the first cohort of social work apprentices gained their qualification, official data has shown.
According to Skills for Care, 82.7% of apprentices qualified as a social worker in 2021-22, with all of those who completed the course successfully passing. The remainder (17.3%) did not finish their training.
With the apprenticeship, which takes three years, having been rolled out in 2019, this represents the first full cohort to complete the degree-level programme.
How apprenticeship qualification rate compares
The achievement rate is slightly below the average for undergraduate social work programmes, generally, in 2021-22 (86%), meaning there was a higher qualification rate from traditional university courses than apprenticeships.
The achievement rate was higher for postgraduate courses (89%), which encompass university master’s schemes and the three fast-track programmes: Frontline, Step up to Social Work and Think Ahead.
About social work apprenticeships
Social work apprenticeships are degree-level qualifications that generally take three years, with apprentices spending at least 20% of their time in off-the-job training, delivered by a university or other learning provider.
They spend the rest of the time carrying out their substantive role, though employers also arrange social work placements for them, in line with Social Work England’s requirements for students to do 200 days of practice learning across their course.
Significant rise in number of apprentices
Skills for Care’s annual report on apprenticeships in adult social care also revealed a 43% increase in the number of people starting social work apprenticeships in 2022-23 (1,060) compared with the year before (740).
The workforce development body’s latest annual social work education report showed 5,580 started social work courses in 2021-22.
Figures are not yet available for 2022-23, but if the number of starters is similar, then apprenticeships will make up just under a fifth of those who began social work qualifications in that year.
Government funding boost for training route
At the same time, both the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Department for Education (DfE) are promoting even greater take-up of social work apprenticeships.
Meanwhile, the DHSC is looking for authorities to recruit an additional 400 apprentices to work in adults’ services over the next year, backed by £12m.
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“They spend the rest of the time carrying out their substantive role, though employers also arrange social work placements for them, in line with Social Work England’s requirements for students to do 200 days of practice learning across their course”. Yes, they spend 4 days a week, every week for 3 years doing no less than a qualified social worker apart from s.42. Then they have to do another year ASYE alongside someone fresh from just university with only 200 placement days of usually a role where they never even saw a Care Act assessment.
The apprenticeship really needs to align with on the job learning rather than putting an experienced worker on another, wage stalling course for a year to regurgitate what they have already done.
I completely agree with you Jimmy. The requirement for ASYE completion seems a waste of time and resources.
I have not found the social work skills to be ready to jump the ASYE level of practice. They have not done the role as the lead professional and often worked an unrealistic work load not giving them a true understanding of the expectations. The resilience is not where it needs to be, certainly the experience in my local authority, many leave after their first year in practice. After 3 years of investment, it’s not worth the local authorities investment.