Apprenticeships support group

[SingingAvocado]

Following on from a thread started by @Citygirlrurallife and with encouragement from @Dontlookup1 perhaps there is an appetite for an apprenticeship thread? To repeat what I said on the original thread, 'my DD (Y12) wants to go for an apprenticeship too so I'm grateful to hear of others pursuing the same route. I've signed up to apprentice job alerts on LinkedIn and we have a spreadsheet to note down anything interesting and when it was advertised this year in the hope they follow a similar pattern next year. She'd like a degree apprenticeship but would be willing to do a level 4 if it is a foot in the door. She's also wanting something creative, which are a lot more rare (her favourite is the Christie's programme). We are under no illusions that it is going to be difficult. Would an apprenticeship thread be useful (plenty of uni ones here)? A central gateway would be great. We've done all the legwork ourselves …'
All welcome!

Thanks for this, as I said on the other thread ds is in y12 wants an apprentership in engineering (probably mechanical but in recent times has also muttered about civil). Would accept a lower level apprentership if it was the right one. Is happy to leave home or stay at home.
Would rather not go to university but knows it may need to be the way (doesn't really want to do a gap year).
I'd love to know where to look, feel like we're going to miss some because which companies do we look at and when and how do we not miss some? And how do you compare apprenterships the information available minimal? I'm sure I've got a 100 other questions too!

What does she want to do an apprenticeship in? As I said on the other thread my DS is in year 1. His apprenticeship is 4 years, the same as if he was doing a degree with an industry year.

I might be a little early (!), but my DS (Y11) also wants to go down the apprenticeship route, something finance related...so joining to gain valuable info from those ahead of us!

I'm a chartered accountant, if you have any questions. I learnt on the job (didn't go to uni) and have hired apprentices.

A note for EVERYONE on this thread: make sure your son/daughters CV is ATS appropriate. This is the "software" that looks at your CV and matches it to the job spec or requirements. It's essentially like AI that filters and screens CVs, so getting past the first hurdle in an application nowadays is to make sure your CV is ATS readable.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

https://kaplan.co.uk/apprenticeships/programmes

https://kaplan.co.uk/apprenticeships/learners

The 2 links to Kaplan will be useful to @Katyapup and anyone interested in digital apprenticeships.

Thank you @LuckyNumberFive. Something I've wondered about is work experience; it seems really difficult for young people these days to get even the Saturday jobs that I had, but is it expected? Is there anything else they can do to strengthen their application?

I attended a degree apprenticeships talk recently to support my job.

They advised the apprenticeship.gov.uk site linked above and the ucas.com site.

they (2 unis offering degree apprenticeships) said apply to uni as usual too as back up as it’s so competitive.

Each application gives more skills and knowledge. So keep applying.

Looking at lower level ones is also a good strategy if interested in a particular company. I see a few interested in BAE and they offer different levels which are worth looking at.

Oh and keep a spreadsheet. There are degree apprenticeship trackers to download as your dc will be applying for a lot. It’s useful to keep track.

If I remember more I’ll add later.

I'll be honest I do lean towards those candidates with work experience if they're fresh from uni or 21+, but for school leavers (16-18) it's a positive but not essential. I have a teenager so know how much harder it seems to be to get a Saturday job vs when I was younger (mid 30s).

Seeing confidence and passion is what I look for. It doesn't even need to be passion for the sector/profession, but just passion for something. I've hired apprentices such as one who was teaching herself photography in her spare time, another who loved to cross-stitch, a young lad who'd joined a running club and was training for a half marathon. It shows you've got something about you, not just "I like hanging with my mates" or something generic.

The standout apprentice I hired (for an AAT traineeship) was a girl/young woman who'd done A Levels, realised uni wasn't for her but to show she was serious about learning on the job she'd bought the first AAT module textbook and was self teaching to try and get a leg up on the other candidates. It worked, I was impressed with her proactivity.

Would you accept virtual work experience or voluntary work as alternatives?
As it’s so difficult to get that first job I suggest a combination of the above.

Get hold of a copy of the apprenticeship standard, such a L4 Accounting Technician or L7 Accounting or Taxation Professional. Then map the standards to skills they are already developing, such as IT proficiency from school or communication by producing a newsletter, problem solving by explaining how they juggle exams and sport etc.

It's hard enough for Oxbridge grads to get part time jobs, so few employers would be picky about work experience for 18 year olds.

Also don't worry too much about the name of the potential employer. A good regional or local employer can provide just as good career & apprenticeship opportunities as a household name.

Absolutely! I don't have anything against candidates with zero work experience, but do favour those who've had some sort of job whether that be paid, voluntary, being a guide/scouts/cadet leader, volunteering at their schools homework club etc. Anything that shows commitment and a bit of real world "job" experience. But again, I'm only really looking for that for uni aged folks and older, in my experience it's quite rare to come across someone 21+ who hasn't had any work experience, even just a few hours a week in a pub or working at the student union. For school/college leavers it's a bit more common to have no work experience, but I'm still looking for some sort of passion, I don't enjoy the interviews where we ask school leavers what they like to do in their spare time and the response is hanging with their mates or playing online. Although I did have one young lad years ago who enjoyed online gaming and was teaching himself to code, that was interesting!

That’s good to know.

I tell my students it’s what they’ve learnt. Anyone can say they done x, z but it’s what you gained/ learnt that’s important.

I also suggest that they remove “socialising” as everyone puts that and it’s not adding much.

I know a few civil engineering degree apprentices. A couple are with the Highways Agency. They also have level 3/4 options.

Agreed, the "socialising" is where I hear "hanging out with my mates" and as you say, most do that.

For school leavers we don't ask competency questions and we have any GCSE or A Level grades from the application point, so from their point of view there's usually not much to highlight where/what they've learnt. I find with apprentices what really works for us is making sure they'll fit in. We hire those who show a keen interest in whatever the apprenticeship is in (I hire for admin, accounting, HR and occasionally IT), those with an outside passion for something, regardless of what it is, someone with a bit of confidence, personable and smiley, and where you can tell they've prepared for the interview. That means well dressed (I'm not expecting suit and tie but office wear or neat and tidy is expected) and a couple of thoughtful answers.

Questions I tend to ask school leavers (with no, or very little work experience):

What makes you interested in a career in finance/HR/IT/admin?
What do you do outside of school/hobbies?
What are your medium or long term goals? Can be either personal or professional. I'm not expecting them to have prepared anything for this but it's nice to hear when candidates want to progress eventually onto a level 7 qualification, or (such as previously mentioned) the person training for a half marathon said they'd eventually like to run the London marathon.
Favourite subject in school and why? The answer isn't important but again, it often sparks a conversation about what they're passionate about.

I also love it when they've got a question at the end for me, it shows they've prepared for the interview.

So many fail at the first question. It’s a basic! I’m quite harsh as I send them away to practise.

for the thread Unilever take on 100 degree apprentices in different parts of their business.

My DS is in his second year at a blue chip tech company.

You do have to be very proactive and put yourself out there. All companies advertise on their websites and you can create alerts for when applications open and be prepared to treat every application individually. I also cannot emphasize enough for grabbing as much work experience as you can get in the summer of Year 12. Most of it is online. Be prepared to do an individual personal statement for every application.

My DS has just chipped in saying that don’t helicopter parent your kids during the process. He strongly feels that if an applicant can’t sort themselves out then they are not ready for the responsibility and workload of working and studying.

Don’t dismiss a lower grade or an internship. If your DC is serious about an apprenticeship and is adamant like my DS that they don’t want full time Uni then grab that foot in the door with both hands. My DS started off with an internship and applied internally which is commonplace.

Happy to help via DM and give more specifics.

Thank you so much for this, it's so helpful! I really appreciate you taking the time.

Mine took a year out and worked whilst applying. Apart from being good on his CV, I think its really helped him to succeed so far in this year. Its a lot of work balancing a job and working.
Also, applying for an apprenticeship is much more involved than applying to Uni in most cases..Even with the year out he is one of the youngest on his apprenticeship.

My DD started her degree apprenticeship in September. She applied for many whilst doing her A levels. She would come home from school and would spend a few hours over consecutive nights writing her application letter or answering questions for each one, matching her skills, reading about the company etc... it was hard going with lots of rejections which was hard when she felt she had put a lot of time into it. But she did get better at it.

She is really enjoying her apprenticeship and the money with lots of holidays booked!

Whilst I wouldn't encourage the use of AI to write the responses she would often ask ChatGPT to find her a job and it would find some she hadnt found on searches!
She didn't get the top grades, went to a really bad school so limited opportunities but she went out and got herself some great work experience just by asking everyone she knew.

I am so glad that you posted, your DD sounds similar to my DS. My DS went to an OK school and 6th form college, didn’t get a string of top grades and is a bit of a character.

It is controversial but it doesn’t need a string of A* and extra curricular , it needs grit and hard graft and definitely no helicopter parenting. My DS would have told me to p… off if I had interfered and had spreadsheets on his applications. Of course we supported him but on his terms.

Quite fluid at this stage. What we've been looking at are business management, PR, talent acquisition, communications, project management, supply chain, buying and merchandising, events. DD's a levels are business, media and textiles so she's keen on creative / marketing / branding / luxury brands / sports. She dreams of being in London (a limiting factor I know) although she'd most likely continue to live at home and commute until she's earning proper money.

Thank you. Just been googling ATS and send DD a link.

Yes, they advertised very recently:
Business & Technology - Level 6
Digital Marketing Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship
Digital and Technology Solutions - Cyber Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship
Digital and Technology Solutions - Technology Management Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship
Chartered Management - Customer Development Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship
Chartered Management - HR Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship
Data Science - Technology Management Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship
B2B Sales Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship