Apprenticeships
Learning while Earning and in a way that suits you - Real life, Hands-on and Practical.
"Apprenticeships are the modern route to a high quality career"
Ed Balls Education Minister
Research shows that apprentices will earn, on average, over £100,000 more throughout their lifetime than other employees. (Learning and Skills Council 2009)
Some FAQs
Can anyone do an Apprenticeship?
Yes. Although we at Skills for Growth offer Apprenticeships for people aged 16 - 24. If you are older than this and in work have you thought about Train to Gain.
If together we feel you are not quite ready for an apprenticeship we offer a program that helps provide you with the groundwork for employment and this program is called Foundations.
What can I do an Apprenticeship in?
Nationally there are over 200 Apprenticeship Schemes but here at Skills for Growth we offer areas of Business including Business Administration, Customer Service and ICT as well as Hairdressing and Child Care Learning and Development; for more information select one of the links on the left of this page.
How much could an Apprentice earn?
All Learners on our schemes are employed, therefore the employer normally determines the Apprentice’s salary. However, the minimum set by the government is £95 per week.
How long does an Apprenticeship take?
The length of the Apprenticeship is independently tailored and will depend on your starting level and sector of choice. Flexibility will be built into the programme to ensure that it meets the needs of the employer and the aspirations of the Apprentice.
What happens when you are an Apprentice?
We will first conduct an informal interview with you to discuss your training needs. If you are accepted onto the programme we arrange a further interview for you with an employer where we have a vacancy. Once employed, you will work 4 days a week, with day release for "off the job" training at one of our training centres. Your progress at work will be monitored, including visits from a qualified assessor. Feedback is invited from Apprentices and employers throughout the programme to ensure that all parties are benefiting from the programme and progressing well.
When you talk about different levels what do you mean?
There are two levels of Apprenticeship and these are described below:
Level 2 (Foundation)
This programme is designed for those who are entering into a vocational area with little experience.
It consists of structured training in the workplace, which is reviewed at regular intervals to ensure all aspects of the Training Programme are covered.
As well as workplace training, Learners also attend ‘Off the Job’ training sessions to cover the Knowledge elements of the qualification.
The Apprenticeship framework consists of:-
National Vocational Qualification at Level 2 (NVQ 2).
Key Skills in Literacy and Numeracy (usually at Levels 1/2 but this depends on the occupational area).
Technical Certificate in their vocational area.
Possible enhancements depending on the occupational area (e.g. additional customer service units if applicable to the business)
Level 3 (Advanced Apprenticeship)
A Level 3 Apprenticeship will consist of Level 2/3 Key Skills and an Advanced NVQ Level 3 Qualification. This will enable the Learner to progress onto further Supervisory Qualifications.
A fully completed Advanced Apprenticeship allows access onto Higher Education to study a Foundation or Higher Degree.
Download an Apprenticeship Guide here