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A new Higher Apprenticeship in Human Resource Management has been officially launched by the CIPD.
The institute hopes that the new programme will broaden access to careers in both business and HR, and provide a rich and diverse talent pool for the future.
The CIPD worked with Skills CFA – the business apprenticeships issuing authority – to develop the Higher Apprenticeship framework, following consultation with employers and training providers.
This new Level 5 apprenticeship is equivalent to the second year of a degree and will be available from this autumn.
Apprentices will gain a comprehensive understanding of the HR function through the programme, alongside practical experience of the workplace. Topics covered will include improving organisational performance, knowledge management, employment law, and resource and talent planning.
On completion, successful participants will gain a professional qualification and a pathway to associate membership of the CIPD.
By 2016, more than 700 people are expected to embark on the training, which has been supported by government funding of nearly £800,000.
The CIPD said that the scheme would provide a new recruitment offering for employers, and could attract talented people into the profession who might not otherwise have considered a career in HR.
As a champion of apprenticeships, it was a natural progression for the institute to introduce a Higher Apprenticeship for the HR profession itself, explained CIPD chief executive Peter Cheese.
“It is important to the credibility of the HR profession to do this and to promote this ourselves,” he said at the programme launch yesterday evening.
Cheese added that the new apprenticeship complemented the CIPD’s Learning to Work campaign, which aims to help young people enter the labour market.
“Apprenticeships fit into any profession or type of business,” he continued. “They deliver both business value and social value by giving young people different routes into work.”
Cheese was joined on the platform by Skills CFA chief executive, Jenny Hewell, who described the Higher Apprenticeship in HR as “an opportunity for apprentices to earn while they learn, and to develop themselves into high quality professionals in a short period of time, without going to university.”
Have your say... I think it's an excellent idea, and am keen to take someone on in this role, but am having no success in finding a local provider of the cipd apprenticeship qualification, despite a search of the cipd website. Any info on providers in the north west welcome!<br/>Helen
Hi Kunle<br/><br/>There are no formal set entry criteria for the apprenticeship - putting the onus on employers to decide what they want and expect from prospective HRM higher apprentices.<br/><br/>For more informatyion, visit www.hrapprenticeship.org
Have your say...This is the most significant development in CIPD L/D i have seen for a very long time. A very welcome opportunity to young people wanting to join the profession; i do hope that the voluntary sector will use this as a spring board to getting young people into the sector. <br/><br/>Like the person above, i am interested to learn what the entry criteria will be but i am more concerned with those who have no HR qualifications but would like to work in HR. Doing this appreticeship would give them the opportunity to achieve a HR qualification while gaining experience of the HR function.<br/><br/>Regards
This is really a positive development and a step in the right direction. However, there must be in place clear policy directive to prevent discrimination which has negatively affected the ethnic minority group.<br/><br/>I like to ask what will be the entry level or criteria as there are many people who have HR qualifications but have not been able to find an in-road to the profession and wouldn't mind taking the higher apprenticeship road to get in to the profession?<br/><br/>Kind regards,