Community Arts

Learning Programme Content

The Learning Programme provision shall comprise of three mandatory elements:

• Qualifications,
• Essential Skills
• On/off the job training

The total minimum credit value required for this Level 3 Pathway is 72 credits

Entry requirements

Employers are looking to widen the pool of potential recruits into Community Arts and to give more opportunity to individuals to get their foot in the door of the industry. They are particularly interested in those who:

• show a keen interest in working in community arts and in providing high standards of customer service;
• have the communication skills on which this apprenticeship will build;
• understand the importance of working in teams and the benefits which community arts programmes bring to local communities.

Applicants may have prior experience or qualifications in any of the creative industries supported by a portfolio of evidence but this is not mandatory as training providers and employers will use initial assessment to ensure that applicants have a fair opportunity to demonstrate their ability. Programmes will then be tailored to meet individual needs, recognising prior qualifications and experience.

Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)

Level 3: Community Arts Management

Level 3: Community Arts Management Qualifications

Participants should achieve one of the following competence and knowledge qualifications below.

Essential Skills Wales (ESW)

Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh.

On/Off the Job training

On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

Total on and off the job training hours for the 18 month programme is 593.

Minimum of 39 credits/233 hours for the Level 3 Diploma in Community Arts Management.

On/Off the Job Essential Skills details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

• 6 credits/45 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Communication
• 6 credits/45 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Application of Number
• 6 credits/45 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Digital Literacy

Other additional requirements

Since the Apprenticeship may involve working with children/young people and/or vulnerable adults, entrants must be willing to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.

Progression

Level 3 Apprenticeship in Community Arts

Progression routes into:

• Other Level 2 Apprenticeships in the creative and cultural sectors
• General or vocational qualifications related to or relevant for the creative and cultural industries
• Experience of working in a paid or unpaid customer facing role at Level 2 for a period of 12 months

Progression from:

Jobs

• Following a period of working within the same role and the development of additional skills either at a higher level or at the same level
• Into a management role in Community Arts or within the creative and cultural industries
• Working with the community in other roles such as theatre and community music leader
• Sideways development into a different role, e.g., theatre technician to production, or cultural venue

FE/HE

For those who wish to continue their development of skills and qualifications beyond Level 3, opportunities may exist to undertake higher qualifications such as:

• HNCs/HNDs related to or relevant for the music and creative industries, e.g. music, art and design
• Foundation degrees in Management and Leadership, creative and cultural industries or a range of community theatre and arts programmes
• BA Honours Degrees such as Entrepreneurship for the creative and cultural industries Other vocational qualifications related to or relevant for the creative and cultural industries

Equality and diversity

It is important that apprenticeship Pathways are inclusive and can demonstrate an active approach to identifying and removing barriers to entry and progression. Pathways should advance equality of opportunity between persons who share protected characteristics and those persons who do not as identified in the Equality Act 2010.

The Protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity. Marriage and civil partnership is also included although only in respect of the requirement to eliminate discrimination in employment.

Training providers and employers MUST also comply with the other duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that applicants are not discriminated against in terms of entry to the industry based upon those nine protected characteristics.

Although the figures vary by region, overall the creative and cultural sector is predominantly white (93%), nearly half of the workforce is under 40 years of age, male and female representation is 60/40% and around 13% have a disability.

Likely reasons for these imbalances are:

• a lack of identifiable career progression routes in the industry to date
• tendency within the sector for new recruits to start on no or low wages for up to two years in some instances means that opportunities for people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds can be limited.
• the industry has a history of graduate entry which might deter those without a degree from applying;
• the history of graduate entry means that those recruiting may automatically seek graduates even for entry level roles and this is the culture of graduate bias during recruitment which we hope this framework will begin to address.

In order to counteract some of these issues, awareness of careers in Community Arts and other creative and cultural industries is being raised through:

• actively challenging the culture of unpaid work experience which dominates the creative and cultural industries and creating better choices for more people. Creative Apprenticeships were a brand new alternative route into the creative industries, one based on ability and potential rather than academic track record or social background and contacts. We built a ground swell of support through targeted engagement and campaigning activity in order to demonstrate how apprenticeships could work for learners and employers alike.
• the (14-19) Diploma in Creative and Media and the Young Apprenticeship Programme in Art and Design or Performing Arts, which has been raising awareness in schools.
• Creative Choices careers website offers careers information and advice, listings for training, case studies about working in the industry, access to networks and mentoring - http://www.creative-choices.co.uk/
• we work with employers to raise awareness of apprenticeships in the creative and cultural industries. This diversifies the types of employers involved by encouraging small and medium businesses therefore extending the reach of the programme. http://nsa-ccskills. co.uk/apprenticeship-training-service

Apprenticeships are seen as a vital route to encourage and facilitate, a greater diversity of individuals into the industry in order to challenge graduate bias at the point of entry. Entry conditions to this framework, therefore, are extremely flexible and mentoring has been included to offer additional support and increase the chances of apprentices successfully completing the Apprenticeship.

Creative & Cultural Skills will monitor take up and achievement of all Apprenticeships through its employer led Qualifications and Apprenticeships Group and take steps to address any barriers to take up and achievement as part of our Sector Qualifications Strategy

Employment responsibilities and rights

Employment Responsibilities and Rights (ERR) is no longer compulsory.  But it is recommended that all apprentices (especially the 16 years -18 year group) receive a company induction programme.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Training Provider/Employer to ensure that the requirements of this pathway are delivered in accordance with the Welsh Government/Medr  Apprenticeships Guidance.

Further information may be obtained from: Medr

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