Building skills for the future of conservation
Icon is approved as an End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) for two apprenticeship standards currently available in England, and is involved in the revision of the Conservator standard.
This apprenticeship focuses on the care, handling and management of collections. Apprentices gain experience in preventive conservation, environmental monitoring, object movement, and documentation.
Typical duration: 12 to 18 months
End-point assessment: delivered by Icon.
This apprenticeship develops the technical and practical skills required to make, conserve and restore stained glass. Apprentices learn to cut, paint, lead and assemble glass under supervision in specialist studios or heritage sites.
Typical duration: around 36 months.
End-point assessment: delivered by Icon.
The Cultural Heritage Conservator apprenticeship standard is currently being revised and is not open for new starts. Icon continues to support the redevelopment process and will provide updates when the revised version is approved for delivery.
Apprenticeships are employer-led and open to new entrants as well as existing staff who wish to gain formal recognition for their skills. Apprentices must be employed in a relevant role for the duration of their training.
Each apprenticeship combines:
For employers
All apprenticeship programmes must include:
Apprenticeships can be delivered from Level 2 through to Level 7.
Level 2: GCSE at Grade A*, A, B or C; O Level A, B or C.
Level 3: A Levels, International Baccalaureate Diploma, Access to Higher Education Diploma
Level 4: Certificate of Higher Education(CertHE), Higher National Certificate (HNC)
Level 5: Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), Higher National Diploma (HND)
Level 6: Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma
Level 7: Master's Degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma
For the full overview please click here.
The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in April 2017. It targets employers who have a pay bill in excess of £3 million per year. This is to be paid at 0.5% of the pay bill less a £15,000 levy allowance. The government will top up the account by 10%, giving a total amount of £11,000 available for the employers to fund their apprenticeship delivery. This is to be held in their own Digital Apprenticeship Service Account. For employers using the levy, the funds will be taken from their digital accounts, and paid to the training provider. Once the funds have been used, it is proposed that they will need to contribute 10% of the funds to the training provider, and the government will fund the rest.
For example, an employer with a pay bill of £5,000,000 will need to spend £10,000 on the levy (i.e. 0.5% x £5 million = £25,000. Then subtracting the allowance of £15,000 gives the £10,000 annual levy).
For those employers whose pay bill falls below the threshold, there is no requirement to contribute via HRMC as yet. They will be expected to contribute 5% of the funds directly to the training provider, and the government will fund the remaining 95% up to the maximum amount of funding available (NB organisations with fewer than 50 employees will need to make no contribution towards the delivery of apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds).