Cross-Government Apprenticeship Buddy Scheme

Cross-Government Apprenticeship Buddy Scheme - Information pack for candidates and buddies

Introduction to the Buddy Scheme

Our ODP Cross-Government Buddy Scheme is here to help increase Apprenticeship support for those undertaking the ODAS Apprenticeship. We understand that everyone learns differently so we offer this scheme as an option to those who feel they would benefit from further support during their journey.

For those who have completed their Apprenticeship already, this is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge, by leading and managing Apprentices, whilst working collaboratively across different government departments. Buddies will offer additional support and guidance to people who are currently undertaking the same Apprenticeship that they have previously completed. It is an informal support network that will be carried out in a way that the buddy and Apprentices agree suits everyone best. In this pack we will outline what you can expect from the Buddy Scheme and explain how you can get involved if you haven't done so already!

Roles and Responsibilities - who is involved?

Buddies

Provide support and guidance to your apprenticeship
Answer queries regarding the apprenticeship
Encourage discussion between yourself and your apprentice
Lead and manage your apprentice
Update the ODP central team if a candidate completes their apprenticeship or withdraws
Progress queries if answers cannot be provided immediately

Candidates

Engage with your buddy and fellow apprentices
Be open to suggestions and advice
Take part in group discussions and share best practices with other apprentices where possible
Feedback to your buddy on how effective you are finding the support and suggest ideas for improvement where required

ODP Central Team

Manage any enquiries regarding the scheme
Be a main point of contact for buddies where support is required

LISTR

If you have not yet registered yourself onto the LISTR tool you will need to do this in order to start your buddy/apprentice journey, you can do this by clicking here - Listr tool - Register and entering your email address and a password and clicking "register my account"

To register as a buddy: If you are interested in registering as a buddy all you need to do is register yourself on LISTR. During the registration process you will be asked if you would like to be a buddy and which ODP qualification you have completed. Once you are registered on LISTR candidates can directly request you as their buddy - you will be given the option to accept or decline any candidates.

To register as an apprentice: If you are interested in matching with a buddy to help you with your qualification, please follow our quick guide below once you have registered on LISTR

First, update your profile to specify that you are currently undertaking an Apprenticeship.
Next, click apprenticeship buddying which can be found in the 'Community' section.
You will then be presented with a directory which lists all users that have previously completed an apprenticeship identical to yours (as specified in step 1). You can refine the directory further using various other criteria found under the Filter controls located at the top of the page.
Once you have found a person you would like to buddy with, you can use the 'Connection Request' button found next to their listing.
You can now leave your potential buddy a message to introduce yourself. Once you have submitted your request, Listr will email the person to let them know and you can await their response.

Next Steps

Once you have found a suitable match and have contacted them direct, we would advise that you arrange a time/date suitable for you both to review where the apprentice is currently up to with their apprenticeship and how the buddy feels they could support the apprentice best. Before starting this process have a think about what you would like to get from the scheme and make a note of any ideas you might have about how you can contribute and ways you can communicate across government. Buddies should think about how much time you can dedicate and what support you can offer. Consider practical issues, such as how you would prefer the apprentice group to contact you? We would recommend that apprentices remain with the same buddy for the duration of their apprenticeship, as a minimum. Hopefully you will remain in contact with your buddy/apprentice following completion of their qualification however, offering continuous development and support across government as your careers progress.

Hints and Tips

Please remember that the Buddy Scheme is flexible in order to accommodate all and will develop depending on the requirements of the individuals involved. It's up to you to decide how you wish to communicate, how often and what forums you may use.

Apprentices

It is important that you get what you need from your buddy so please come to all meetings arranged by your buddy fully prepared. You may wish to consider pulling together any questions/issues you are having with your apprenticeship and sending them to your buddy prior to these meetings. This would enable your buddy to ensure they are equipped to answer all of your questions.

Buddies

Once you have received contact from your apprentice, we recommend that an initial telekit is arranged by you to introduce yourself, from here you can decide how you both wish to proceed. A suggested agenda for the first chat is:

Introductions and ice breaker
Where you are on your journey (have you completed any units yet, when did you register for you apprenticeship, how long have you got left to complete)?
Aims & objectives - what do you want to get from the scheme, what support would you like, how will you communicate with each other? What part of your apprenticeship are you most worried about?
Agreed outcomes - for example will you be having monthly dial-ins, are you going to set up an online forum for discussions? Will you be contacting each other via email?

Both

We've included below a list of things that could be considered by buddies and apprentices when arranging their meetings:

Monthly telekits
Online forums for buddies with more than one apprentice
1-2-1's - conducted over the phone, face-to-face, email
Webinars, video conferencing
Revision sessions
Proof reading
Email

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