Guidance – Foundation Apprenticeships
Stay up to date with the latest guidance on Foundation Apprenticeships. It'll help you either start or continue to deliver fantastic training to Foundation Apprentices.
Activating your contract
Are you starting out as a learning provider? Find out about activating a contract for Foundation Apprenticeships.
Funding Information and Processing System (FIPS)
FIPS is where you manage and claim payments for Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships. We've got a range of guides to steer you through the process.
Compliance
Once your contract is activated, your Skills Investment Adviser (SIA) will visit. They'll talk you through the Foundation Apprenticeship programme requirements.
Complete the paperwork
You should first familiarise yourself with the way we monitor contract compliance. Then, you can complete the mandatory Learner Registration Form and Equality Monitoring Form.
If it's relevant to your apprenticeship, you may need to sign the Work-based Learning Declaration. This can be found in our publications area and you, the learner and employer will all need to sign it.
Upload your documents
There are 2 important steps to remember when uploading a document:
Upload the completed Learner Registration Form and the Work-based Learning Declaration document to FIPS.
Then, enter the information only from the Equality Monitoring Form Section A into FIPS and securely discard that part. You should keep hold of Section B.
Prepare for the apprentice starting
First, you'll have to set up the apprentice with an awarding body. Their qualification includes the SQA Group Award, apprenticeship and the awarding body units.
Learner recruitment
It's important to remember that Foundation Apprentices are still at school. This means your recruitment process must coincide with key timelines of the school academic year. There's lots of support to help you recruit Foundation Apprentices.
Understand the timelines
Read our recruitment guide. It has details of when to advertise Foundation Apprenticeships - staying in line with the school year.
Engage with stakeholders
Collaborating with schools, local authorities, parents and pupils is essential.
Our Employer Engagement Guide will show you how to work effectively.
Promote your apprenticeships
Our Marketing Resources and Marketing and Publicity Guidelines will help you promote your apprenticeships.
Support new learners
We have lots of advice on how to ease first-day nerves for new apprentices. Get ready for your Foundation Apprentice with the Mentoring Guide.
Training delivery
Your Skills Investment Adviser will review your training delivery. This includes getting feedback from the apprentices and employers.
Before training
Make sure the apprentice journey is clear from recruitment to achievement and completion. You should also set up an induction for employers and the learner.
Work with the employer
First, make sure employers are signed up for work placements. It's important to ensure the learning hours in the Foundation Apprenticeship Framework are met. You can find the frameworks for your Foundation Apprenticeship in our publications area.
Meeting requirements
Your delivery model must meet the product specification. You must review and assess each apprentice’s progress and then share this with them, the employer and school.
Your SIA will get in touch to review your delivery. They'll highlight areas of good practice and where you could make adjustments.
For the apprentice
Each apprentice needs to agree with and sign their Individual Learning Plan. You should also invite them to register on My World of Work. Make sure support is in place for apprentices who are at risk of dropping out.
Documents and links
About Foundation Apprenticeships
Need more information about Foundation Apprenticeships? Get an overview here and find useful support.
Search publications
Find essential documents in our Publications area to support you as an apprentice employer or learning provider.
You can browse for apprenticeship frameworks, programme conditions, specifications, exemplars and more.