Global Apprenticeship Network - Accreditation platform
AEN Rises to the Occasion: Revolutionising Global Apprenticeship Accreditations for Employers
Executive summary
Revolutionising Apprenticeship Standards: The Accreditation Platform That Changed Everything
In a strategic alliance, the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) and the Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) partnered with April9 to develop a comprehensive accreditation platform. This innovative solution addressed critical challenges in maintaining high-quality apprenticeship standards and provided a robust framework for global recognition. Leveraging April9's expertise in secure, composable software solutions, GAN and AEN implemented a scalable, efficient, and secure system, enhancing their credibility and ability to attract top talent. This case study highlights the significant outcomes achieved, including streamlined processes, improved security, and elevated apprenticeship standards worldwide.
Client Background
Global Impact: How GAN and AEN are Addressing Youth Unemployment with Apprenticeships
Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN Global)
The Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) was established in response to the persistent issue of youth unemployment that lingered even as global economies recovered from the 2009 economic crash. Recognizing the need for effective solutions, key international organisations, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Business at OECD, came together to form GAN Global. Initially focused on promoting apprenticeships to integrate young people into the workforce and equip them with essential skills, GAN's mission has since evolved. Today, GAN advocates for all forms of work-based learning, emphasising flexible and lifelong training approaches necessary for the modern workforce. The importance of continuous skilling and training was underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic, reinforcing GAN's role in bringing together business, policy, and government stakeholders to ensure individuals and businesses thrive with the requisite skills and competencies.
Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN)
The Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) serves as the peak industry body representing not-for-profit group training companies across Australia, which are part of a national network of group training associations. AEN members collectively employ over 24,000 apprentices and trainees, making it the largest employer of such individuals in Australia. With more than 10,000 host employers, primarily small to medium-sized businesses, AEN plays a pivotal role in providing vocational training and employment opportunities across various industry sectors. The organisation supports its members through advocacy, negotiation, and policy setting at both State and National levels, working in collaboration with governments, industries, and enterprises. The core mission of AEN members aligns with the Australian Qualification Framework standards, focusing on the employment and vocational training of young people.
Partnership - A Global Collaboration for Quality Apprenticeships
The partnership between the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN Global) and the Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) aims to elevate the quality and accessibility of apprenticeship programs, offering young people worldwide valuable opportunities to develop essential skills and enter the workforce. By leveraging GAN's global initiatives in work-based learning and AEN's extensive network and experience within Australia, this collaboration seeks to create robust and effective apprenticeship systems. Together, GAN and AEN are committed to addressing the evolving demands of the modern workplace, ensuring that both individuals and businesses are equipped to succeed and contribute meaningfully to society.
Challenges
Overcoming the Impossible: Tackling Inconsistent Training Standards and Recognition Across 24,000 Apprenticeships
GAN Global and AEN faced the critical challenge of ensuring high-quality standards across a diverse array of apprenticeship programs. The variability in training practices across different industries made it difficult to maintain consistency and excellence, risking the dilution of apprenticeship value. Employers struggled to build trust and credibility without a standardised accreditation system, which hindered their ability to demonstrate their commitment to high-quality training. This lack of formal recognition threatened to erode confidence among potential apprentices, customers, and business partners.
Attracting and retaining top talent was another significant issue, as employers found it hard to appeal to skilled individuals without recognized accreditation. Resource constraints further complicated efforts to meet accreditation standards and continuously improve programs. Additionally, the absence of a transparent and consistent evaluation process posed challenges in ensuring accountability. Aligning the accreditation system with global quality frameworks was essential to gain international recognition and credibility, crucial for apprentices' competitiveness in the global marketplace.
Five Ambitious Goals: Elevating Apprenticeships with a Robust Accreditation System
GAN Global and AEN aimed to address their challenges by establishing a robust accreditation system that recognizes leading employers in apprenticeships, ensuring the highest standards across various programs. Their primary goal was to create a comprehensive framework that not only ensures high-quality standards across diverse programs but also enhances the credibility and appeal of apprenticeships.
1. Support Employment
Utilise apprenticeships to create entry-level pathways and support apprentices from the start of their employment, providing them with essential skills and opportunities for career advancement.
2. Foster equality and diversity
Ensure that apprenticeships are non-discriminatory and contribute to increasing workforce diversity. Promote apprenticeship vacancies to a broad audience, encouraging inclusivity and equal opportunities for all.
3. Guarantee Fair Wages and Conditions
Implement processes that help apprentices understand their workplace rights and ensure all apprenticeship conditions are met. Guarantee that apprentices receive fair wages and are aware of their entitlements.
4. Promote Health and Safety
Prioritise the safety and health of apprentices, fostering a workplace environment that supports their physical and psychosocial wellbeing. Implement measures to ensure a safe working environment for all employees.
5. Ensure continuous staff development
Ensure the learning and development of apprentices through supervision and mentoring by appropriate and trained staff. Promote lifelong learning and continuous skill development to adapt to the evolving demands of the modern workforce.
To achieve these objectives, GAN Global and AEN sought to collaborate with a proficient ICT partner capable of delivering a global accreditation platform. They selected April9 for its security credentials and proven solutions, including ISO 27001 certification, PCI compliance, and partnerships with AWS and government bodies. By leveraging April9's expertise in developing innovative and secure software solutions, GAN Global and AEN aimed to create a scalable and internationally recognized accreditation system. This platform would streamline the accreditation process, facilitate continuous improvement, and foster collaboration among accredited employers, ultimately contributing to the development of a skilled and competitive global workforce.
The Game-Changing Platform: Inside the Revolutionary Accreditation System
The Solution
In their pursuit of excellence in apprenticeship accreditation, GAN Global and AEN partnered with April9 Software to leverage innovative solutions. By collaborating with April9, they established a comprehensive and secure platform to manage the end-to-end accreditation process. April9 delivered a highly secure, web-based solution using their composable platform, Stack9, ensuring rapid and reliable deployment. The solution encompassed several key components, each designed to enhance operational efficiency, compliance, and user experience.
Quality Apprenticeships Website
The Quality Apprenticeships website is a publicly accessible website that serves as the primary gateway for the Accreditation platform. It is a critical tool for marketing and community awareness, offering comprehensive information on the benefits of accrediting apprenticeship programs. The website allows employers to locate partners based on their country, with content tailored by the administration team in real-time. This feature ensures the platform's growth and expansion into new regions. The website also provides detailed guidance and resources for organisations navigating the accreditation process, with content available in multiple languages to enhance accessibility.
Employer Portal
The Employer Portal provides a secure and efficient platform for employers to submit their accreditation applications. Key features include self-registration, user management for large organisations, and step-by-step guidance through the application process. The portal ensures secure document uploads and integrates seamless payment processing, driven by a pricing rule engine maintained by the accreditation body. Employers receive real-time notifications throughout the process and can obtain a digital certificate of accreditation within 3 to 5 business days, enhancing their credibility and marketing efforts.
Accreditation Partner Portal
The Accreditation Partner Portal streamlines the application review process for accredited partners, ensuring efficiency and quality control. Accredited partners receive notifications of new applications and can access only those within their jurisdiction, maintaining security and relevance. The portal includes system audit trails for accountability and transparency and enforces guardrails to ensure mandatory requirements are met before awarding accreditation. This system maintains the trust and quality of the accreditation process.
Back-Office Administration
The Back-Office Administration section is a dedicated application for the platform's administration team, providing comprehensive control over the accreditation process. Administrators can configure accreditation requirements per country and language, define pricing engines based on organisation size and country, and manage accreditation partners. Additionally, the administration team can manage the content on the Quality Apprenticeships website, ensuring it remains up-to-date and relevant.
Innovative Security Features
April9's solution includes advanced security features to protect sensitive data throughout the accreditation process. Secure document uploads, jurisdiction-based access for assessors, and comprehensive audit trails ensure that all data is handled with the highest level of security and integrity. These measures provide peace of mind for both employers and accreditation partners, maintaining the confidentiality and reliability of the system.
Global Alignment and Scalability
April9's platform is designed to align with global quality frameworks and best practices, ensuring that the accreditation system is recognized and respected internationally. The platform's scalable architecture allows it to grow and adapt to the evolving needs of GAN Global, supporting their mission to enhance apprenticeship standards worldwide. By providing a robust and flexible solution, April9 empowers GAN Global to continuously improve and expand their accreditation efforts, contributing to the development of a skilled and competitive global workforce.
From Vision to Reality in 4 Months: The Step-by-Step Journey of Platform Implementation
Implementation Process
The implementation of the Employer Apprenticeship Accreditation Platform was executed meticulously over a four-month period, ensuring the project was completed on time and within budget. April9 worked closely with GAN Global and AEN to develop a robust and secure solution that met the diverse needs of employers and accreditation partners. This collaborative effort involved comprehensive planning, design, development, testing, and deployment phases, each marked by significant milestones and achievements.
Planning and Analysis
Aligning Goals and Defining Requirements
The project began with comprehensive planning sessions involving April9, GAN Global, and AEN to align on goals, timelines, and deliverables. During these sessions, a detailed analysis was conducted to understand the unique requirements of both employer and assessor personas. This led to the decision to develop two distinct web applications, catering specifically to their needs. These initial planning stages were crucial in setting a clear roadmap for the project, ensuring that all stakeholders were on the same page and that the platform's objectives were well-defined.
Design and Development
Building User-Centric Web Applications
In the design and development phase, the focus was on creating user-friendly interfaces and ensuring accessibility for both web applications. Using the composable platform Stack9, the development team built the employer portal and the accreditation partner portal concurrently. This approach allowed for rapid deployment and seamless integration. User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) designs were meticulously crafted to ensure ease of use. Multiple rounds of stress and performance tests were conducted to ensure the solution could handle high volumes of traffic and data. Extensive penetration testing was also performed to secure sensitive employer and employee data, addressing potential vulnerabilities early in the process.
Addressing Data Sovereignty
Ensuring Compliance with Local Regulations
One of the major challenges faced during implementation was ensuring data sovereignty. To comply with local regulations, it was necessary to isolate the data layer and host it within each country. This requirement involved significant infrastructure planning and execution, ensuring that data remained within national borders. Despite the complexity, this setup allowed the platform administration team to set global requirements with country-specific overrides. Overcoming this challenge was a critical milestone, ensuring that the platform could operate within the legal frameworks of different countries while maintaining high standards of data security.
Testing and Deployment
Optimising for Launch and Continuous Improvement
The final phase involved making adjustments and optimizations based on feedback from the testing phases. Extensive user acceptance testing (UAT) ensured that both portals met the expectations of end-users. Final tweaks and improvements were made to enhance performance and user experience. The platform was then deployed and went live, with continuous monitoring implemented to ensure smooth operation post-launch. This phase also included training sessions for the administration team to manage the platform effectively, ensuring a seamless transition to the new system.
40% Efficiency Boost: The Incredible Impact of the New Accreditation Framework
Results
The implementation of the Employer Apprenticeship Accreditation Platform has generated significant positive outcomes for GAN Global, transforming their approach to apprenticeship accreditation. The platform, along with the newly introduced accreditation framework, has provided employers with a robust structure to promote quality apprenticeships and has enhanced their market reputation. The combined benefits of the platform and the framework have led to increased efficiency, improved security, higher user engagement, and a strengthened ability to attract talent.
Establishing a Standard of Excellence
The new accreditation framework has set a high standard for apprenticeship programs, providing clear guidelines for employers to follow. This has led to a more structured approach to apprenticeships, ensuring consistency and excellence across various industries. As a result, employers can now demonstrate their commitment to quality training, which has boosted their credibility in the eyes of potential apprentices, customers, and business partners.
Streamlined Accreditation Process
The platform has streamlined the entire accreditation process, making it more efficient and less time-consuming. Automated workflows, real-time notifications, and a user-friendly interface have significantly reduced the administrative burden on both employers and accreditation bodies. This efficiency has resulted in faster processing times and a 40% reduction in administrative overheads, allowing resources to be redirected towards strategic initiatives.
Robust Security Measures
With its advanced security features and strict compliance with data sovereignty regulations, the platform has ensured robust protection of sensitive data. Hosting data within national borders and conducting extensive penetration testing have minimised potential vulnerabilities. This enhanced security has increased trust among employers and apprentices, reassuring them that their information is securely managed.
Improved Employer Reputation and Talent Attraction
Accredited employers have seen a significant boost in their market reputation. The framework and platform together provide a credible accreditation that signals an employer's commitment to quality apprenticeships. This has led to an increase in applications from potential apprentices and has enhanced the employers' ability to attract and retain top talent. Employers now have a powerful tool to promote their dedication to high standards and employee development, making them more attractive to job seekers and business partners alike.
Comprehensive Support and Continuous Improvement
The platform offers comprehensive support and resources to help employers meet accreditation requirements and continuously improve their programs. Detailed guidance, step-by-step instructions, and access to best practice guidelines have empowered employers to enhance their apprenticeship offerings. This support has led to higher satisfaction rates among employers and has fostered a culture of continuous improvement and lifelong learning within their organisations.
“The Quality Apprenticeships Employer Accreditation will benefit Australian employers and apprentices. Australia has so many wonderful businesses that are vital to keeping our apprenticeship industry strong, this accreditation will highlight these employers as leaders in their sector whilst investing in the future security of Australia’s skills industry.”
“Almost half a million Australians undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship every year. Ensuring these are delivered to global best practice will secure Australia’s place in the international skills landscape.”
Scaling New Heights: The Global Expansion of a World-Class Accreditation System
Future Outlook
With the successful implementation of the Employer Apprenticeship Accreditation Platform, GAN Global is well-positioned for future growth and success. The platform provides a solid, scalable, and secure foundation, enabling the expansion of accreditation standards into new countries. This global reach will allow GAN Global to influence and elevate apprenticeship programs worldwide, promoting excellence and consistency across diverse industries.
The robust and flexible design of the platform allows for seamless integration of new accreditation partners and expansion into additional countries. As more countries adopt these standards, the reputation and impact of the accreditation framework will continue to grow, benefiting employers and apprentices worldwide. This capability will enable GAN Global to extend their influence and provide standardised, high-quality apprenticeship programs on a global scale.
April9 remains committed to supporting the platform with high security standards, utilising secure hosting on AWS in multiple regions. This ensures that the platform remains resilient, reliable, and secure, safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining compliance with local regulations. Continuous monitoring and security updates will keep the platform robust against emerging threats, ensuring ongoing trust and confidence from all stakeholders.
Scheduled enhancements and updates will ensure that the platform continues to meet the evolving needs of employers and accreditation bodies. April9 will introduce new features and improvements based on customer feedback, ensuring that the platform remains user-centric and aligned with industry best practices. Additionally, AI-driven tools will be used to speed up document analyses and data extraction, making the accreditation process even more efficient and accurate. This iterative approach to development will keep the platform relevant and effective, fostering continuous improvement in apprenticeship programs. Through these efforts, GAN Global is well-equipped to lead the future of apprenticeship accreditation, ensuring a skilled and ready workforce for years to come.
