Hear from the Aptem team and Dom Wilkinson, Lifetime Training, how Aptem’s new AI-powered technology will benefit apprenticeship providers in our webinar.
Towards the end of 2022, artificial intelligence and machine learning exploded into our world. We were wowed with the incredible capabilities of Chat GPT, as well as other rival systems.
About a year ago, we were stunned again by Microsoft. Now we can embed AI within existing applications to make use of the rich context of an individual’s own data. Due to this advanced capability, platforms like Aptem can take the power, versatility, sophistication, and breadth of generative AI and embed it securely within a platform alongside customers’ information, goals, and workflows.
Aptem is investing into making this happen. We are building best-in-class teams and looking at how we can make the most impact for our customers and their operations.
We are developing an offering of value-multiplying features, called Aptem Enhance®. It will offer increasingly greater value for providers within our end-to-end apprenticeship management platform. We are committed to building functionality and not just because we can. We know it will deliver exceptional value for training providers. It will save time and resource, cut out repetitive, administrative noise, and elevate human impact.
Webinar overview
In this webinar, we shared an exclusive overview of our Aptem Enhance strategy and product roadmap. Dom Wilkinson, Product Owner at Lifetime Training, demonstrated how Lifetime Training, the UK’s largest apprenticeship provider, has already embraced the first feature, Aptem Checkpoint ®, through our early adopter programme.
Our CEO, Richard Alberg, concluded the webinar by saying, ‘I hope you agree that this technology presents an incredible opportunity for the sector when it’s done properly, securely, thoughtfully, with creativity, and it’s going to be used to drive something the sector really needs.’
What was covered?
The potential of AI within apprenticeships, Richard Alberg, CEO
• Richard gave us a brief history of how and why Aptem has become the market leading apprenticeship management platform supporting this sector. He talked about what he believes makes Aptem’s unique position favourable for delivering AI solutions.
• Richard discussed the future of vocational training delivery. He anticipated that providers who don’t adopt AI technology could be in trouble in a few short years. Richard believes that ‘’AI will transform our sector. This year providers will gain a competitive advantage because they use this technology well. Next year, there will be a scramble as those behind try to catch up. By the end of 2025, those without AI as a core part of their delivery may well be out of business .”
Customer-centric feature development, Paige Exeter, Product Manager
• Paige took us through the process and benefits of conducting customer research to validate assumptions, deepen customer understanding, inform development (and prioritisation) and identify new or unseen opportunities.
• Paige shared some of the activities the Aptem team has undertaken for Aptem Enhance to date, including:
o Internal research with Aptem colleagues who have experience working within training providers, universities, and colleges.
o Research with industry stakeholders, to validate the challenges being addressed with the new features.
o A series of in-depth qualitative and quantitative research activities with Aptem customers, to test feature suggestions, anticipate challenges and adjust development plans accordingly.
o A comprehensive ‘early adopters’ programme, which gave a selection of Aptem customers access to early iterations of the first of these features. This helped to rigorously test the solution and gather feedback from learners, tutors, and leadership to inform development.
Customer Experience Showcase, Dom Wilkinson, Product Owner, Lifetime Training
• Dom has been putting together an internal operating framework at Lifetime Training. He is looking at how to capitalise on AI to elevate Lifetime’s provision, deliver better outcomes for their learners and drive greater efficiencies amongst coaches and tutors. Keen to explore the potential of AI within its core apprenticeship management platform, Lifetime joined the early adopter programme for Aptem Checkpoint.
• Dom introduced Aptem Checkpoint as a tool to enhance the learning experience. Discussion generated questions using AI to cover criteria that the learner has been reviewing throughout the curriculum. He believes Checkpoints can be a fabulous indicator of a learner’s progression. Dom described the reporting function of Aptem Checkpoint as ‘mind-blowing’ in terms of available data.
• Dom gave a demo of how the Aptem Checkpoint tool appears to the learner and coach, sharing user experience, dashboard, and reporting examples. He concluded with real-life feedback from the early adopters on both the learners and coach sides of the experience. Feeding back, users said ‘I was nervous about the AI at first, but it’s a great learning tool’ and ‘Aptem Checkpoint is brilliant at helping personalise the learning experience.’
Aptem Enhance roadmap preview, James Love, Chief Product Officer
• James discussed the vision behind Aptem Enhance, paving the way for a future where technology and human expertise combine to enrich learner experiences and support optimal provider operations. He reiterated how crucially valuable it is to retain the many benefits of human interaction throughout an apprenticeship. It highlights the opportunity for AI to enhance rather than detract from this.
• James emphasised the importance of security and data protection within Aptem Enhance. Aptem ensures – by design- that all personally identifiable information (PII) remains within Aptem, and not with third parties.
• James provides an early preview into eight upcoming Aptem Enhance features and their benefits. This includes three currently in development:
o Situational judgement, or ‘applied KSB’ questions, which are an extension of Aptem Checkpoint. Applied KSB questions focus on checking the practical application of knowledge, skills, and behaviours through realistic scenarios in the context of the learner’s employment and programme of study.
o A review summarisation capability within Aptem, to help summarise prior review sessions and assist in preparation for upcoming reviews.
o A virtual assistant for learners and tutors, to provide quick answers to questions and offer guidance on next steps within Aptem, including the functionality of the platform itself.
Click here to see the Aptem roadmap, and see more about the potential, in progress and current features of Aptem Enhance.
Please note that these Aptem Enhance features are subject to change, and will be exclusive to the Enterprise packages. If you are already an Aptem customer, please speak to your Customer Success Manager about how you can gain access to Aptem Enhance features as they develop.
If you are not currently an Aptem customer, you can find out more about Aptem and our Aptem Enhance features by getting in touch or booking your demo.
