The arrangement means that any member of the Civil Service, both existing and new staff, will be able to take CIPD courses alongside getting their level 3 or 5 HR apprenticeship with ARCH Apprentices, a pioneering training provider in the apprenticeship field.

Apprenticeships are a unique combination of on-the-job training in an organisation with off-the-job learning, and provide employers with an effective way of growing their skills base. The apprentice’s learning takes place in context and provides a real understanding of the working world, combining practical skills with theoretical knowledge. Apprenticeships can therefore offer a career route into the organisation and an invaluable opportunity to develop the expertise the business needs now and in the future.

For Civil Service HR apprentices, they will be able to study and develop their skills in a range of areas right across the HR portfolio. The world of work continues to change, and HR sits at the forefront of many issues we face in the working world, such as how we continue to build more diverse workplaces, and how we design organisations to ensure we are making the best use of our talent.

The CIPD is passionate about continuing to develop the skills of the HR profession, and being able to support the approximately 4,000 HR staff working in the Civil Service means that they will be at the cutting edge of professional qualification.

Apprenticeships have been a key priority for successive Governments, with the current administration continuing with ambitious targets, as well as introducing a new funding method known as the Apprenticeship Levy. The move by the Civil Service to continue to invest in the development of their own HR apprenticeships demonstrates that they are practicing what they preach, and the CIPD are delighted to have been chosen as the provider for these apprenticeships.

Winning the competitive tender continues to demonstrate the respect with which the Civil Service holds the Institute. It represents an extension of the partnerships between the CIPD and the Civil Service, who last year signed a memorandum of understanding in order to professionalise and upskill the 4,000 HR staff working for Civil Service HR.