A total of 286 Network Rail Apprentices successfully completed a fully interactive virtual learning programme, as part of the three-year Network Rail Apprentice Scheme. This had an impressive success rate of 98.5%. It comprised of four modules per Class delivered over a four-month period between June and October this year. Each Apprentice completing the programme passed the ‘Behaviours’ element of their Rail Engineering Technician ‘End Point Assessment’ and, also, achieved 50% of the required Units towards their ILM Level 3 in Leadership & Management.
Background
The Level 3 Rail Engineering Technician (RET) Standard within the Network Rail (NR) Apprenticeship Scheme requires each NR Apprentice to demonstrate, during their End Point Assessment (EPA) by the Institute of Engineering Technicians (IET), the range of ‘Behaviours’ set out in the RET Standard.
Traditionally, evidence of the 7 x Behaviours identified in the RET Standard is prepared by the Apprentices during a face to face (F2F) development programme. This F2F programme is delivered by Benchmark Training, on behalf of Babcock International Group (Babcock). The programme also includes the apprentices completing their ILM Level 3 Certificate in Leadership & Management.
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic prevented the NR Apprentices from following this traditional learning pathway and a new pathway needed to be created, quickly.
Babcock’s solution was to ask Benchmark Training to create a virtual learning programme that would enable up to 290 x Network Rail Apprentices to:
- Identify, collate & prepare all the workplace-based evidence required to pass the ‘Behaviours’ element of the RET Standard during their End Point Assessment.
- Complete the underpinning knowledge elements of the ILM Level 3 Certificate in Leadership & Management
Introduction
Almost all the Apprentices were working from home; most were at home with all the distractions that it brought; some had limited band-width and some could only access the internet at certain times of the day. Few of the apprentices had experienced this learning approach previously and some were simultaneously completing their technical training. It was against this challenging backcloth that our Training Design Team of Blair Hope Hall, Andy Tutty and Brad Cannicott sat down to create a virtual learning pathway that would successfully deliver the outcomes required by Babcock.
Our team created their solution during an intense three-week design and pilot window. The ‘form and function’ of the programme and the graphic design of each element of the learning material were crucial in creating and sustaining strong learner interest and engagement. Benchmark were also given the task of administering the whole programme. This required our team to:
- Draft & send joining instructions, meeting requests & learner training material to each Apprentice.
- Establish telephone contact with each Apprentice to confirm attendance, receipt of materials & provide them with pre-programme support.
- Provide advice on how to access & use MS Teams.
- Provide tips on how to deal with a range of potential technical issues.
- Provide advice on how to create & sustain a successful ‘learning space’.
- Create a comprehensive formative & summative Management Report for Babcock & Network Rail.
Key Features of Our Delivery Solution
The final training material created by our Training Design Team was successfully bench-tested, both internally and by Babcock, and one week later the solution was rolled out to the first NR Apprentices. The primary components of our solution ensured that:
- The RET Behaviours & relevant ILM L3 Units were broken down into four x equal length modules
- Each formative module comprised a 3-hour, tutor-led, interactive webinar using MS Teams.
- Time was built in for extensive Q&A, during & after each webinar, to support individual learners.
- Each module was further broken down into four x ‘bite-sized’ sessions to ensure full engagement.
- Each session comprised knowledge acquisition followed by bi-lateral Q&A to confirm learner understanding & enable each Apprentice to identify evidence from their workplace.
- The Apprentices attended the programme in their pre-formed ‘Classes’. This promoted individual & group confidence & led to pro-active participation.
- Each apprentice identified, collated & recorded their evidence on specially prepared forms throughout each module & session.
- Apprentices submitted their completed evidence to their tutor for confirmatory checking & feedback.
- The tutors responded to each Apprentice by email or phone depending on the scope & content of the support & feedback required.
- The modules were repeated each day & apprentices were guided to other virtual classes to ensure they had the maximum opportunity for attendance.