Have your DCs apprenticeship applications all stalled because of Covid?

[HappySonHappyMum]

Just that really - there's lots of chat about Uni places and grades but no ones talking about the large number of Year 13's that progress on via an apprenticeship. This group seem to be massively disadvantaged as employers don't seem to be continuing to recruit because of Corona. What is everyones experience of apprenticeship applications so far this year?

What is he applying for?

Engineering - but it's more a general question. Nobody seems to be talking about apprenticeships at all. I wondered if other people are getting interviews and seeing there applications progress.

In my field HR teams are busy dealing with furloughing staff, renegotiating contracts and dealing with potential redundancies. Graduate & apprentice recruitment has been put on hold, because you can't have 100s of new starters joining the profession in September if the majority of staff are still working from home. Summer internships have either been cancelled, although some have promised of guaranteed jobs in 2021.

Existing trainees are seeing their training ongoing, but professional exams disrupted. Apprentices must continue their training, but many can't complete their end point assessments. TBH I think any new entrants to apprenticeships or grad schemes will be very lucky to start this year.

@hoghgyni Your post confirms exactly what my DS is experiencing. All of the apprenticeships he has been applying for have let him know that the recruitment process is being suspended. I'm not sure how he will progress into the field he wants to come August when his results have been decided for him. There's going to be a lot of unemployed 16/18 year olds stuck in some sort of limbo. It's horrible for them and I feel for them.

Its turned into a real dilemma for us. DC would prefer to do an apprenticeship and has reached the stage where he has to do a face to face interview (online interviews not appropriate), so the process has stalled. If they didn't get the apprenticeship they would go to university.

The dilemma is that with the delay they will possibly have to decide on going to uni before they know about the apprenticeship.
The work is staying in touch with FAQs, newsletters etc but their is nothing they can do until lock down is over and the process restarts. And if lock down isn't lifted in time no one will be recruited.

How to decide on whether to risk it or not?

Not my DC but I have been quite worried about this too, OP. I have many young people in my life at that kind of age & it's deplorable to me that the decision is to pause creation of future technicians, plumbers, trades people, retail, customer service, childcare, business admin, software etc. -- ALL of the essential services people we very much RELY on right now (?!!).

In a way it's 'sort of' comforting that it's not just my DS that's experiencing this . For him Uni was never an option so all his hopes are riding on an apprenticeship. I have a real fear that most companies won't recruit this year because of the expected recession. Also most companies have some form of learning attached and the courses involved all start in September so if no decisions are made by then the ship will have sailed. What on earth is going to happen to them all?

amp.theguardian.com/money/2020/may/18/firms-slash-entry-level-jobs-by-almost-quarter-owing-to-coronavirus-pandemic-young-people

Confirmation.

A lot of schemes will defer by 6 months. Most qualifications attached to apprenticeships are flexible and few colleges will be returning to face to face learning for 6 months. A lot can be done online to kick start their learning.

@hoghgyni Oh wow - what an article - that's absolutely devastating for school leavers. Not content to have their education curtailed because of Corona their job prospects are being cut too. Why is no-one talking about this in the media or is it only kids that are going to Uni that matter? Unemployed young people are going to be everywhere

Well the Guardian article proves that they are talking about it in the media! Recruitment is inevitably going to be at the bottom of everyone's things to do list. Many employers are fighting to save their current employee's jobs and livelihoods. For example, Carnival recruit a substantial number of apprentices each year in a whole host of roles, but they are consulting on making 450 redundancies in Southampton. The FT reported earlier today that over 20% of companies are considering redundancies. You can't recruit whilst making staff redundant.

I understand that circumstances are preventing recruitment and I'm sure that the recession that's about to hit is going to cause massive redundancies as well. It just seems such a shame that young people just starting out are going to be lost in the system despite having so much to offer.

DS is a current apprentice and furloughed, we're hoping that come 1st June (when his current furlogh period ends) he'll get back to the work based training.

We're assuming he'll finish college 1 year late and will have an extra year apprenticeship at the moment.

@jazzthedog I hope it comes good for him - that must be really worrying - especially not getting the chance to complete what you've started.

They will push completions through as the training provider will only receive the lump sum attached to each trainee at that point.

We are considering taking a year out to get the apprenticeship if the one my DC wants doesn't go ahead this year. I know its not possible for everyone.
Not sure what more the MSM could be saying about the issue, its not something anyone can fix and until their is more information their is little to say.

So glad to find this thread! DD is in this boat, doesn't want to go to uni. She is 19 in September and so if takes another year out, she will be nearly 20. She's thinking of trying to get a job to tide her over and then go to Camp America

I think there may end up being a whole lot of young people taking jobs instead of starting careers - it's going to have a profound effect on our youth if they can't train for the careers they've been encouraged to aspire to throughout there school years. Can't say our year 13's have had an easy time though. My DS was the first year to have the new grammar and spelling SATs, the first year to have full 9-1 GCSEs and now his A levels cancelled - something positive has got to happen soon!

@JazzTheDog I wouldn’t assume that - there’s no change to End Dates for apprentices sadly. Causing no end of problems for those of us training them.

DD has secured herself an apprenticeship this week 😊 May depend on what they are looking at though. She starts on Monday! We are very relieved. Hope everyone else's applications start to move on soon