Pearson TQ retains the contract to deliver Apprenticeship Standards to the Royal Logistic Corps

The Army offers all new regular recruits the opportunity to undertake a relevant apprenticeship at the start of their career and, where appropriate, provides further apprenticeships as part of a Whole Life Development (WLD) plan. As a recognised top-100 employer offering apprenticeships, the Army has one of the largest employer-provider apprenticeship programmes in the country, with over 95% of new soldiers enrolled onto an apprenticeship programme within their first three years of service, and more than 6,500 completing their apprenticeship training each year. 

The Royal Logistic Corps sustains Army and wider Defence activity, at home and overseas, as a core component of a global, integrated logistic enterprise. There are 16 different roles in the RLC and this contract supports the apprentices employed in the majority of those roles. PTQ is contracted to support the Army, as the Employer-Provider, in their administration and delivery of apprenticeships.

We have delivered the RLC Army Apprenticeships contract since 2015 and have worked hard with our military clients and colleagues to make it one of the most successful and widely respected Apprenticeships in the whole Army Apprenticeships Scheme.

The new contract will include both the delivery of Apprenticeships Standards and Functional Skills to almost all Trades in the RLC, and in a new venture the administration of RLC Apprenticeships End Point Assessments. (The EPAs themselves will, of course, be conducted by an independent End Point Assessment Organisation contracted separately to PTQ.)

The following apprenticeship standards will be delivered:

-  LGV Driver (C+E) (RLC & RAF)
-  Supply Chain Warehouse Operative (RLC and RE & REME)
-  Express Delivery Operative
-  Aviation Customer Services Operative
-  Port Operative
-  Workboat Crewmember
-  Unified Communications Technician
-  Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives Technician

The contract also allows for the provision of driving apprenticeships to the RAF.

The successful retention of the RLC Apprenticeships and that of the Royal Engineers Apprenticeships contract in 2018 consolidates PTQ’s position as the main Service Provider to the Army Apprenticeships Programme. In addition to the RLC and RE contracts, PTQ delivers three other Army Apprenticeships programmes for the AAP, these being the Defence Medical Services Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships for the AGC, Royal Navy and RAF personnel administrators, the Intelligence Corps Apprenticeships and a range of apprenticeships and other services at the Army Foundation College. 

The success of the RLC Apprenticeships programme is truly a whole team effort involving support from other parts of the business: Finance, IT support, HR Business Partners, HR Administration, Business Development as well as colleagues from the wider PTQ Apprenticeship team and the Army Foundation College.

However, it is the core team of RLC dedicated staff, the Field Army Coaches, Contract Compliance staff, and Functional Skills tutors guided by the Quality Assurance team that deserve the most credit for their unfailing dedication to the RLC Apprentices, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colonel J C West ADC, Colonel RLC