How did your young person successfully get a degree apprenticeship?

[lljkk]

Topic has come up on another thread. Lacking detail on the process, the steps required, the soft skills needed.

I have impression it involves these things:

• Searching..,. somewhere online (where?): knowing where these things are advertised
• Preparing initial application with long personal statement tailored to the specific apprenticeship
• Being prepared to go thru screening & competency tests, etc.
• Dressing professionally for every interview (business wear)
• Expecting to dress professionally every day in the job, and go to an office mostly 9-5 weekday hours (is that true?)
• Preparing a professional looking adult-style CV that is tailored to the specific position
• Multiple rounds of panel interviews (how many rounds?)
• Very much selling yourself at each and every contact point until the apprenticeship is secured
• Excellent A-level results (how excellent?)

is that the correct picture? What else is involved in getting a degree apprenticeship? How long did the application process take?

The young person I know that had a degree apprenticeship offer (engineering) was predicted 4 x A* and achieved it. They also had an offer from Cambridge for engineering but chose the degree apprenticeship. It was as competitive as getting his Cambridge offer. They aren't necessarily the easy option.

I thought it was pretty tough.
Any other anecdotes?

PMK since also interested to find out more.

I recruit degree apprentice school/college leavers and have done so in a few industries.

In terms of where to look, the following websites: Rate My Apprenticeship , government website, Get My First Job, UCAS, Not Going to Uni etc.

Never required a candidate to have a long personal statement and those that tried to shoehorn in their UCAS ones did not demonstrate commitment to an apprenticeship. Although I would always recommend applying to uni as well as degree apprenticeships are massively competitive.

If you decide which one you want to do and identify the education providers they are often able to point you in the direction of companies recruiting.

Always apply early and don't miss deadlines in the process.

Most companies are assessing for potential so think about transferable skills from any work experience and I mean any work experience and extra curricular activities etc.

Feel free to AMA. Hope that is helpful as a starting point. If you let me know which industry/apprenticeship I may be able to help further.

The students I know who’ve got them have had excellent academic records and have gained experience or can show prior engagement with the area of interest previously.

These are not those for whom uni wasn’t a good or suitable option, looking for an alternative that was more suited to the less academic or the non self-starter. They absolutely were the same people who would look very good on a university application and who weren’t just starting to think about it in Yr13 but had been prepping for it for a good while and gathering experience they could refer to.

It doesn’t feel like the 50s/60s/70s when an apprenticeship could be gained by young men who’d left school without formal qualifications and limited nouce, but who could be trained to do skilled manual work that woukd pay a solid wage,mor possibly lead onto jobs that gained them professional qualifications.

DD1 is currently at the end of her 2nd year on an apprenticeship with a Big4 accountancy firm. She was researching them (and others) during yr12 and mostly applied Oct/Nov of Yr13 whilst simultaneously applying to universities for economics. She applied to all Big4 plus GT, Mazars. She also applied to the civil service, JPMorgan and maybe some others. I’ve no idea how she found them. No one at school mentioned it and it’s gone totally unrecognised with her listed as ‘gap year’. She’s the first and only so far from her school to have chosen this route.
She hadn’t got a CV and didn’t have a personal statement for the apprenticeship - just one for uni. I’m sure she mentioned things on the interviews that were included in the personal statement as it talked about her work experience, competitions she’d done etc.
Im pretty sure all of the ones she applied for followed a similar process with an initial basic online application form, followed by online maths tests and online games, situational tests and then series of interviews. All online. There was a phone interview at some stage too. Then an assessment centre day. She applied during covid so the assessment centre days were done online. Then another couple rounds of interviews. Or it may have been final interview by then, I’m not sure. Nothing in person due to Covid. She knew by Feb that she was in. It was a lot of work between Oct/Nov to February esp applying to a fair few. The grades requested varied but they weren’t crazy high - Bs I think as their processes are so rigorous they find who ‘they’ want. So much so that her Big4 said it didn’t matter what grades they got they would still be admitted - this was when it was announced they’d be doing TAGs.

It’s largely Mon-Fri but rarely 9-5! She tends to work 8-6/7 everyday with certain situations needing late finishes 11pm etc. They work hard. She then has to study in her own time although they do get teaching days per module where they learn alongside other apprentices or grads. It’s hard and exhausting.
She’s never worn a suit - We’ve a number of blazers still with tags on! It’s mostly jeans & a jumper & trainers at the office but something a tadge smarter when client facing. But never a blazer or suit. At the interviews she’d have worn just normal clothes.
I think I’ve answered your questions but happy to answer more if I can.

F

That's interesting, thanks @NotDonna.
it sounds like
minimum 8 applications, all to large employers

• UCAS application obviously

if her application was short-listed ->
lots of assessment phase (math test, interviews, situational test, more interviews, assessment centre day)

mostly done over a 4 month period to secure her place

definitely a self-starter's path (?)

The student I know who secured one found it on the companies website. He had to complete an online application with CV and statement tailored to job description. He got though that round and had to complete 4 or 5 online tests, timed. He passed that round and had another online test and phone interview, where they invited him to an assessment centre. This was 9-5, on site and a mix of tasks, group work, tours and a panel interview. After this he found out he was successful but needed to achieve one A star and two A’s. Took place over about five months in Y13.

He works a 40 hour week with a week of study every so often at a local uni. He is treated as a proper employee with reviews, targets etc.

My son did a degree apprenticeship, he applied through the company website. The timescale was very similar to university so applied before Christmas, then online assessments and a full day interview/ assessment in early spring. The offer was conditional on A level results and there's no equivalent to clearing if grades aren't achieved. He had to start on September 1st so we had a very stressful couple of weeks securing accommodation 250 miles from home. We found that sixth form was very much geared up to university applications and there was little practical help for apprenticeships, he was the only one from his year to take the apprenticeship route. He has now finished his apprenticeship and has been employed by the company.

There's also degree apprenticeships - uni + work experience. Our apprentices do 2-3 days in the office and the rest of the time they do their uni courses. All paid by the company, so a really good deal.

The two I know joined their companies at level 3 (one already had a levels so essentially repeated level 3) then continued to degree working 4 days a week and studying one day, both engineering at derby. Think it's easier to find jobs that way

Yes this - the one I know was volunteering at a charity whilst in college, which led through contacts to a week's work experience, and an offer of a level 3 apprenticeship (despite already doing A Levels) The field is quite specialist so they prefer apprentices to do a Level 3 before they progress on to degree apprenticeships.

All I know is that they're ridiculously competitive and in short supply. Applicants have to jump through all kinds of hoops, a bit like getting a decent graduate job after leaving Uni.

DS was interested in a PWC degree apprenticeship with Leeds University. We enquired about it at the open day, only to be told there was something like 20 places and usually around 500 applicants (that's those meeting or exceeding the criteria, excluding the speculative applicants who didn't). He applied but got nowhere at all, despite A* grades at A level in Maths, Comp Science, and Economics (about the best and most relevant combo). Didn't even get past the first screening stage.

It makes me laugh when people on MN (and other fora) go on about "why don't youngsters get apprenticeships instead of Uni?" - they clearly don't really how few apprenticeship places are actually available. Uni places out number apprenticeship places by many times to one!

Blair really screwed over a generation by his moronic and ridiculous aim of 50% of youngsters going to Uni. It's been at the expense of other forms of training/education! (And also screwed local housing markets near to Unis).

For law it can be quite a bit confusing. There are apprenticeships and then there are graduate apprenticeships and then the third and more normal route for solicitors of degree (law or otherwise) law conversion even under the new SQE system and then post grad course exams and then 2 years training.

https://www.sra.org.uk/become-solicitor/sqe/solicitor-apprenticeships/ I don't think you necessarily do a law degree on that route but you do pass the pretty hard SQE exams.

Solicitors apprenticeship and solicitor graduate apprenticeship are summarised here https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/qualifying-without-a-degree/apprenticeships "Solicitor apprenticeships
The standards expected of apprentice solicitors are the same as those expected of all solicitors.
As an apprentice you'll spend 20% of your working week studying and the rest of it working in a law firm. The law firm will decide how this 20% will be taken. Many firms give their apprentices one day a week to do course work. "

"Graduate apprenticeships: a new and evolving alternative
A graduate solicitor apprenticeship is one pathway to qualify by completing the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE1 and SQE2). This means that you can join a firm with a degree or approved equivalent.
Graduate apprenticeships are a relatively new and evolving alternative to traditional apprenticeships. As a recent development, there's some variety in how they work at the moment.
Funding, salaries and duration
Generally, training programmes last between two and three years. Trainees can start gaining on-the-job experience and earning a salary earlier than the traditional route.
Training will be partly funded by the apprentice levy.
Trainees will receive a salary from their employer during a graduate apprenticeship. SQE training and assessments are also paid for by firms, using some or all of their contributions to the apprenticeship levy.
The levy was introduced in 2017 and is payable by all businesses with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million. However, businesses can recoup this cash provided they spend it on apprenticeship-level training.
That means that not every firm can offer apprenticeships. Of those that do, most currently offer the more traditional option, where trainees embark on up to seven years of study and work placements. "

My dc is doing a higher level apprenticeship (accountancy) with one of the big 4. He applied on their website.

Alot of major companies offer degree or higher level apprenticeships in their core subject, plus other related subjects. Eg HR or IT in an engineering firm.

Since covid, a lot of offices aren’t as formal as they used to be. ‘Dress down Friday’ is now typical for most days.

Dc did an online competency test, before having two interviews. They asked for a lower a- level score than the uni degree course.dc did have uni offers as well, but deferred then declined them after a year.

There is increasing competition for apprenticeships so you need to show something special, experience, passion for the subject. Dc was part of a team that’s entered (and won!) a business competition at school.

Mine joined the RAF at 17 with 11 good GCSES (9x 9 and 2x8)

She's on a degree apprenticeship while earning £22K and travelling and playing sports. Win win!

@lljkk yes definitely a self-starter! 2.5 - 3yrs ago they just weren’t mentioned despite being around for a very long time.
There's lots of different levels though. Degree apprenticeships are level 6, as others mention there’s a fair few level 3 (equivalent to A level), the accountancy ones tend to be level 7 as they are put with the graduates and the ACA qualification is post grad. So they don’t get a degree as such but a PG qual. I think that’s worth noting as if an apprentice wants to do something different from accountancy they don’t have a degree just the ACA. Given many job / study applications are via a computer a lack of a 2:1 etc may not compute! I’m not sure how much of an issue this is for a career change?

yr10 DS is interested in the military degree route, @sunshineandtea, how did your DD get on that path?

She joined a tech trade and the career progression is up to a masters in that field. I'm not sure exactly which one she is doing but it's computer/cyber/IT stuff

She will be paid a FT salary the whole time with promotions and get to do study days at University (when she gets to that stage, she's doing the level 3 right now I think).

DS is wanting to do a computer science apprentice but is struggling with where to start so thank you all for your comments which are helpful. He doesn’t want to go to uni so has made life hard for himself!

I have a son doing a level 4 onwards engineering apprenticeship and my daughter is due to start a science degree level apprenticeship in September.

It is not an easy one step process like UCAS.
The selection process takes many months of a 5 stage process.
A good covering letter and application form tailored to each workplace seemed to be key to getting to selection. Then online competency tests.
The next stages varied depending on the employer, some were telephone or online interviews, and others were assessment days. Final step for all were in person interviews, some of these were in groups of 2 or 3.

My children had good academic rigour but also varied CV experiences like youth councillors scouting etc.

The key seemed to be taking the time to research each company and the role, preparing good questions and being confident to talk!
They both were exceptionally pleased to receive several different offers, intestinal the degree level were sorted around April whilst the progressive Engineering offers were all late July.

My advice is to also apply for Uni but there will be apprenticeship opportunities advertised throughout the year.

@Hotflushesinthesunfun

cyber security

A friend’s son was considering this aporenticeship

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/nhs-apprenticeships

and another friend did an IT apprenticeships in the NHS.