Individual Learning Plans or ILPs are an essential part of an apprentice's training.
As the name implies, each plan must be personalised, recognising the learner's own unique knowledge levels, abilities, previous experience, goals and aspirations.
ILPs must also allow for and underpin apprenticeship standards, mandatory off-the-job training and end point assessment (EPAs)
Rules around standards were last updated by the UK government in 2024 and apply to apprenticeships in England.
What is an ILP?
As we know, the system underpinning apprenticeships is constantly changing and is set to undergo further reform as the new government rolls out its strategy for future growth through skills.
As an employer it's crucial you keep on top of any changes, ensuring that you always stay compliant.
ILPs though should not be viewed as a mere tick box exercise. A well-designed personalised plan will help you and your apprentice make the most of their apprenticeship.
Training providers need to create a curriculum and plan personalised for each apprentice which is underpinned by the apprenticeship standards.
Each ILP must reflect an apprentice's prior learning, additional learning requirements and career aims so that you can find the best way to support and encourage your apprentice.
How is the curriculum tailored for each learner?
Once you've created a high-level curriculum for your learner, you can tailor the content based on information gathered at a first assessment.
During initial assessment, you will need to review and show your apprentice's prior learning. If any of their earlier training, qualifications or work experience covers learning objectives set out in your curriculum, you might be able to count these as already achieved and remove them from the ILP.
Make sure though that you assess any prior learning correctly. You might want to check candidates' RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) or gather evidence such as certificates or other examples to evidence claims of competence, rather than taking what you're told at face value. You could also include a minor refresh of skills and work experience and fill in gaps as your apprentice progresses. Either way, by the end of the programme, you'll need to ensure the apprentice is competent in all their learning objectives.
You'll also need to find out if the apprentice has any additional learning requirements - such as English and maths or Health and Safety. If they do, then you'll need to include these in the ILP.
As an employer, you may need apprentices to achieve competence in specific tasks not covered by the generic standard, such as how to use dedicated software. Feel free to include bespoke learning objectives in the ILP so that training meets the needs of your business or organisation.
If the apprentice already has significant prior learning in a subject, or you want to spur them on to achieve a distinction, you can include stretch and challenge tasks in the ILP. Just make sure the activities are sequenced in a way that builds on the KSBs in the standard.
Creating an ILP for each apprentice
Once you have a curriculum, and details of an apprentice's achievements to date, you can set goals and create an ILP. Each plan should include relevant off-the-job learning and opportunities for feedback, such as progress reviews, mock assessments and employer involvement.
Please note that initial assessments set the scene for the success or failure of your ILPs and apprenticeships. Employers who don't gather the right information could find that ILPs won't be properly tailored to individual needs. Apprentices might end up duplicating learning, missing objectives, and/or not reaching their full potential on your programme.
OneFile's RPL Funding Calculator
You can avoid such pitfalls by using OneFile's RPL Funding Calculator, which lets you systematically gather all the information you need during initial assessment.
Apprentices complete a remote skills assessment so they can add evidence of their prior learning against the KSBs in the standard. They can also include any other learning requirements, like English and maths, as well as any bespoke requirements from their employer. The whole process is completed online, giving you the insights you'll need to develop a successful ILP.
To find out more about the RPL Funding Calculator, click here and book a discovery call to speak to an expert.