Make your apprenticeship delivery simple to defend... powered by the Six Cornerstones of Apprenticeship Improvement.
Apprenticeship Improvement with Andy Hillerby
The Reality Leaders Now Face
Achievement can look reassuring on the surface, but leaders know it does not tell the full story. Even at 75 percent achievement, one in four apprentices do not complete. That is difficult to defend in a boardroom, challenging to explain to employers and impossible to justify to prospective apprentices choosing where to invest their future.
At the same time, planned end‑date exposure is now far more visible and far less forgiving. Early drift that once passed unnoticed now shows up clearly in performance dashboards and risk profiles. Completion “eventually” is no longer enough; leaders need predictable progress at the pace agreed, supported by clear evidence that development is landing in the workplace.
The Six Cornerstones of Apprenticeship Improvement address these fundamentals directly. They create the alignment needed between precise training plans, purposeful employer involvement and progress measures that reflect EPA expectations. This ensures competence develops steadily, visibly and on time.
The Six Cornerstones of Apprenticeship Improvement
1. Precise Training Plan Design
Intentional sequencing and clear KSB expectations so trainers understand exactly what they are developing, when and why.
2. Employer-Integrated Delivery
Trainers and employers collaborate with clarity on how workplace activity contributes to real KSB development - not just OTJ hours.
3. Workplace Application That Builds Competence
Apprentices practice, apply and evidence KSBs in real roles, progressing beyond attendance and coverage to genuine competence.
4. Progress Measures Aligned to EPA
Progress is monitored through measures that reflect EPA methods, so evidence of developing competency grows naturally and readiness is established over time.
5. Pace, Planned End‑Date and Momentum Control
Line‑of‑sight to pace is maintained throughout, slippage is acted on early and planned end‑dates are protected.
6. Leadership Visibility and Assurance
Leaders gain a clear view of what is working, what needs attention and why - across the full apprenticeship journey, not just the end point.
How I Work
1. Baseline Review & Assessment
A precise evaluation of how well your apprenticeships develop competence - from sign‑up to Gateway.
Too often, actions for improvement address symptoms, not causes. I examine the effectiveness of day‑to‑day delivery - how trainers use the training plan, how employers support workplace development and how progress towards competence is understood and evidenced - through the lens of the Six Cornerstones. I ask more questions, and more importantly, better ones.
These insights form the basis for co‑designing lasting solutions.
2. Collaborative Solutions for Lasting Success
Every provider’s improvement journey is different, and the pathway to unlock potential is not a simple ABC formula or a set of boilerplate templates. I work with key people across your organisation to design and pilot solutions that fit your starting point, culture and operating environment - creating ownership and commitment to decisions that sustain improvement.
3. Hands-On Implementation Support
The real challenge with implementing improvement is not in starting, but in maintaining the drive, focus and discipline - and ensuring that you are executing accurately.
In addition to the contributions above, I can provide hands‑on support so that your team accurately understand and embed the tools and skills they need to increase their on‑the‑job effectiveness and deliver greater impact to apprentices and employers.
This can be particularly valuable when time and resources are at a premium and momentum and results are required.
4. Ongoing Performance Assurance
Consistency is key, and measuring the right indicators on a week‑by‑week, month‑by‑month and quarter‑by‑quarter basis is an essential part of reinforcing and sustaining improvement.
My support can be scaled on an agreed basis to evaluate progress, assess impact and optimise performance as circumstances evolve.
If you want apprentices who can perform confidently in their roles, employers who value your programme and delivery that remains on pace - the next step is simple.
Book a conversation with Andy Hillerby.
Because competence is built - not assumed.