Apprenticeships & Traineeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

It is a job with training i.e. you work, you learn, you get paid and you have holidays just like other workers only an apprenticeship is designed to be completed whilst you are at work rather than in your own time. At the end of the apprenticeship there is an assessment to complete which then leads to a certificate of achievement that belongs to the apprentice, not the employer. There are also lots of apprenticeship training providers that have some very good support systems in place for all would be apprentices, no matter what their backgrounds or academic abilities are.

Apprenticeships can be undertaken by ‘anyone’ from the age of 16 through to 65 years of age. Some apprentices already have jobs and complete their apprenticeship through work and some apprentices are school or college leavers wishing to complete an apprenticeship in their chosen job or ‘occupational route’.

Occupational Routes: 

• Agriculture, environmental and animal care
• Business and administration
• Care services
• Catering and hospitality
• Construction
• Creative and design
• Digital
• Education and childcare
• Engineering and manufacturing
• Hair and beauty
• Health and science
• Legal, financial and accounting
• Protective services
• Sales, marketing and procurement
• Transport and logistics

For more information on occupational routes and the apprenticeships attached to each, click on the link provided;

https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/

Apprenticeships run for anything from 1 to 4 years and, in many cases, the apprentices are offered permanent jobs at the end of the apprenticeship by the current employer or by another suitable employer.

Where and when to look for an apprenticeship?

You can search for apprenticeships on the national government website https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship or more locally at https://gmacs.co.uk/. It is also worth searching on the websites of companies that are of interest to you. Look for the careers, early careers, apprenticeships or working for us pages. Remember, an apprenticeship is a job. Like any job, there may be many people applying for one job. You need to make sure that you stand out from the crowd.

Local colleges and training providers will also help you with applying for and getting into an apprenticeship.

If you are a year 11 pupil, then you will be looking at finding an apprenticeship and applying from around February. This is not always the case though as some businesses will be recruiting from November so be on the lookout early.

A simple way to find an apprenticeship in a job you might like to do is simply Google Search the job title plus the word ‘apprentice’ e.g;

• Animal care apprentice
• Autocare apprentice
• Baker apprentice
• Beauty therapist apprentice
• Countryside worker apprentice
• Horticulture and landscape apprentice

Useful apprentice websites

Advice and guidance on Apprenticeships:
www.youthemployment.org.uk

Apprenticeship providers

What is a Traineeship?

Traineeships prepare young people for future careers by helping them become work-ready. They are for 16 — 23 year olds, and young people with learning difficulty assessments up to age 25.  

Traineeships last from six weeks to six months, with content tailored to your individual career needs.

They offer:

• work preparation training — gives you the skills and confidence needed for an apprenticeship or the first step in your career
• skills you need to find a job — employers are at the centre of traineeships, so they focus on your skills and future success in employment
• maths and English support — developing the skills you need for the workplace and boosting your job prospects, your long-term career progression, and earning potential
• work experience — you’ll get an insight into work, a useful reference, and an exit interview (or even a job interview if a role becomes available) 
• an improved CV — traineeships give you great experience both practically and on paper
• Apprenticeship Podcast for Young People

A brand new @ApprenticeTalks podcast is now available. Made by young apprentices to educate, inform and give insight into what it’s really like to be an apprentice. You can find the episodes on Spotify by typing “Apprentice Talks” into the podcast section. 

Useful Apprentice websites