Apprenticeship- how to secure one?

[Longlazyday]

My daughter wants to do an apprenticeship in carpentry but first has to secure an employer. Is there a central place to apply. Approaching individual companies has proved fruitless.

Any leads or tips would be appreciated.

How old is your daughter? My cousin has just started an apprenticeship and although did apply directly she had assistance in finding one from a career’s adviser at school in year 11. Or are there any career’s events? Or local job centre? There isn’t really a central place to apply, although you can look on Indeed which will have some listed if employers have chosen to go on there.

There are some websites that are useful such as the government one https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices/browse-apprenticeships and agencies such as Indeed also advertise lots of apprenticeships

Hi , yes there is a national website to look for available apprenticeships, in your area . You have to be 16 and left year 11 to start one. Some want you to have GCSE maths and English c/ level 4 others will let you work towards them at same time as the apprenticeship. Mention as unsure hold old your DD is

www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Thanks all. Had a look at the website and trying some other leads.

Very few opportunities. We’re creating a massive problem.

What you will find is that most apprenticeships (at least where we are) typically sort of follow the school/college cycle, so there won’t necessarily be lots available right now but come Jan/Feb lots then start recruiting for starts after GCSE results. There aren’t loads year round but there do tend to be loads for starting in September each yet, however if you are looking for something very specific you may have to look a bit further afield.

Yes the problem is that they are employer led, so an employer has to offer one. I presume carpentry apprenticeships would be offered by construction firms, who will also be looking for other trade apprenticeships, and maybe will employ one or two each over all the trades. I'm not sure what can be done about that though.

Agree with Drama. One of the reasons Tony Blair massively expanded university provision was that he could control that and he couldn't persuade employers to offer apprenticeships. Frankly we need more employers to realise that they are part of society and step up to the plate. Good luck OP.

As @DramaLlamaBangBang says, Apprenticeships are employer lead so an employer has to offer one first.

Absolutely. Too many employers ( not all by any means) moan about school leavers "not having work ready skills" ( they have been at school. They get work skills at work!) yet dont want to spend time or money training new staff or offering apprenticeships. They would rather someone else did it. Often that is someone from another country because too many people I this country want to pass the Buck onto someone else to train young people.

We've just recruited an apprentice. We advertised the position but have to work in tandem with a college who offer the course that aligns with the work we do. They did an intake in Sept (which has been delayed), and they will do one in January.

I would suggest you contact colleges and ask them rather than the businesses.

My nephew applied for one on indeed, it was just advertised as a Carpenty Apprentiship by the employer. Perhaps contact the local college who offer the course element and see if they have any advice? I've seen the one here advertise career fayres and stuff.

1. Speak to the college careers adviser and/or workplace coordinator lead.
2. Speak to the county careers/enterprise service or local careers hub (search here).
3. Approach relevant employers directly with a well written letter, really selling the idea of why they should offer an opportunity to your daughter and why she wants to do an apprenticeship with them. Each letter should take about 2-3hrs to research and write if done correctly.