Apprenticeships explained: advice for parents and carers

Apprenticeships explained:
advice for parents and carers
learndirect.com/apprenticeships
0800 101 901
Is your son or daughter leaving school or
college this year? Do they know what they
want to do next? What can they do to kick
start their career?
There are many options available to young people after they leave school
or college and choosing which is best is a big decision. We’ve produced this
guide so that you can help your child make an informed choice which is
right for them when starting out in their career.
Did you know?
The government recently said young people must
stay in education or training for longer.
This doesn’t necessarily mean staying in school.
Your child has a choice about how they continue
in education or training, and that’s where
Apprenticeships and Traineeships come in.
They’ll get support from a tutor so they gain industry knowledge and the skills required to do the job. During
this time they’ll also study towards nationally recognised qualifications – learning both through work-based
training and self study.
Applying for an
Apprenticeship
Once your child has decided what type of
Apprenticeship they want to do they can search
and apply for vacancies in their area through the
Apprenticeship vacancy website*:
gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
£100k
Apprenticeship levels:
Higher (Level 4 and above) is
similar to an NVQ Level 4 and
above, or a Foundation Degree
*England only – Scottish Modern Apprenticeship levels will vary
Apprenticeships start level
2 and go up to degree level
meaning that your child can
gain the qualifications and
work experience employers
are looking for
Apprenticeships are available to anyone over the
age of 16. There are different entry requirements
depending on the industry and job.
An Apprenticeship is on the job training available to those aged 16 and over. They usually last between 12 to
18 months depending on the industry and level. Throughout the time of their Apprenticeship your child will
be trained and guided towards a skilled role within a business.
Great progression
opportunities – 90%
of apprentices stay in
employment after their
Apprenticeship with 64%
staying with the same
company 2
100K
Entry requirements
What is an Apprenticeship?
Intermediate (Level 2)
is similar to five GCSEs at
grade A*- C
Earning a salary while learning –
Employers must pay apprentices the
current National Minimum Wage
- £3.30 per hour for 16-18 year olds.
Many employers pay more than this
with the average apprentice earning
£170 per week1
There’s great earning
potential – people who go
on to complete an advanced
apprenticeship earn £100k
more over their career than
those without 1
So what does this mean?
If your child completed year 11 in the summer of
2014 (or any later year) they will need to continue in
education or training until at least their 18th birthday.
Advanced (Level 3) is similar
to two A levels
fits of d
Bene n Appreoning
a
ticeship
In most cases applications are submitted online and
if successful your child will be invited for an interview
by the employer - just like applying for any other
job. We’ve produced some helpful hints and tips on
completing application forms, writing a CV and
preparing for an interview which can be found at
learndirect.com/help/job-help.
What will be expected
of your child?
An Apprenticeship will be very different to the type
of learning your child has done before so they’ll be
assigned a tutor to support them and assess their
£100k
*FE data library: Apprenticeships, Oct. 15
1
National Careers Service website
2
Evaluation of Apprenticeships for Learners, BIS, 2012
Training is funded by
the government and the
employer so your child can
avoid the debts associated
with university
Apprenticeships are
classed as education so are
a great alternative to college
or sixth form
£100k
492,000
people started an
Apprenticeship in 2014/15*
progress to help them stay on track. They’ll attend a
full time work placement and may also be required
to do work towards their qualification outside of
working hours.
Traineeships*
If your child isn’t quite ready for an Apprenticeship a
Traineeship is a great first step!
A Traineeship gives young people the option to gain
valuable work experience, as well as the skills and
confidence to progress into a paid Apprenticeship,
work or onto further education. The Traineeship
can last any time up to 26 weeks and will include a
placement with an employer and work preparation
training.
Your child will be given a personalised learning plan
to show them what they’ll be learning. This could
include how to:
•
•
•
write an effective CV and covering letter
prepare for a job interview
fill in job application forms
£100k
Depending on your child’s current qualifications,
they could develop further skills and increase their
confidence with an English or maths qualification.
Why choose learndirect?
• More than 250,000 apprentices have started an Apprenticeship with us – that’s a lot of
people we’ve helped to kick start their career.
• We’re one of the largest providers of Apprenticeships in the UK – we help train more
than 20,000 apprentices each year and have helped hundreds of people get the skills they
need for work with a Traineeship. So we have the experience and knowledge to help your
child kick start their career!
• We work with 100s of employers in nearly every industry including Sainsbury’s, The
Co-operative Group, Asquith, Ministry of Defence plus many more – so we always have
vacancies to fill!
• We work across the whole of the UK – we can help your child find an Apprenticeship
which is right for them, wherever they are in the UK.
learndirect.com/apprenticeships
0800 101 901
@learndirect
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All information correct at time of going to press. IN/1087/V01 February 2016.