Tony DannCareers Advisor/Employer Links

The Apprentice

Reece Matthews, former student on the BDO School Leaver Programme

Informed Choices and Options

Next Steps after college

• Higher Education and degree options (UCAS)• National Apprenticeship• Company Apprenticeship (sponsored degree and/or

professional qualifications to level 4,5, 6 or 7)• Another FE or 6th Form college• Employment without training• Gap YearSome students will apply for more than one pathway such as a full time degree and a Higher Apprenticeship

Alternative Destinations Apprenticeships and Sponsored

DegreesApprenticeships (Level 3, 4 or above)Sponsored Degrees (UCAS/Non UCAS)Scholarship (e.g. EY Lancaster or Novus and Huddersfield)Traineeships (Company Sponsored) School Leaver Programmes (Professional Qualifications equivalent to a degree)

• 2+ GCSEs at A*-C grade (or equivalent)

• Qualifications equivalent of 5 GCSEs

Intermediate Apprenticeships

(Level 2)

• 5+ GCSEs at A*-C grade (or equivalent)

• These advanced qualifications are the equivalent of 2 A-levels

• Often involve elements of management responsibility

Advanced Apprenticeships

(Level 3)

• 2+ A-Levels A*-C grade (or equivalent)

• Qualifications equivalent of a foundation degree, Higher National Diploma (HND) or Higher National Certificate (HNC)

Higher Apprenticeships

(Level 4)

• Some times referred to as school leaver programmes and may offer professional qualifications equivalent to level 6 or 7

• Work towards a degree while earning money and avoiding fees

Degree Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships

Question for the Apprentice

Did you apply for University as well?

Basic Facts

All apprenticeships are real jobs so all apprentices earn a salary. You must be paid at least the

national minimum apprenticeship wage – and many employers pay significantly more.

Apprentices should work for at least 30 hours per week and an apprenticeship takes between one and five years to complete, depending upon the level of apprenticeship and the industry sector.

Most of the training is delivered in the workplace, so you will learn the skills you need to do the job well. The rest of the training is given by a training organisation, either at the workplace, off-site (perhaps at college) or via e-learning.

The training is specifically tailored to ensure you develop the skills the employer wants, giving

apprentices a real advantage in the workplace. This means that apprentices not only have better

long term salary prospects, but they also have excellent progression opportunities, whether looking to study further or climb the ranks within the workplace.

ApprenticeshipsThe role of the Learning/Training Provider

Training Provider

Company A Company B Company C

Recruitment and selection

Question for the Apprentice

Do you have any observations or comments about Training Providers?

Asphalt Higher Apprentice (Darwen)Aggregate Industries Uk Ltd

• The first year will be a generic period of development and include the principles of minerals extraction and their properties along with product quality and testing.

• The starting weekly wage is £288.46• By the third year of your Apprenticeship, having acquired a range of managerial attributes, you will

be expected to demonstrate this knowledge and skill within a Supervisory position.• After completion of the 3 year Higher Apprenticeship, there are a number of options you may

choose to pursue including:

-Optional progression to the BSc Honours Degree in Mineral Management.-A career in Operations Management or, given the size and scope of our company, an exciting career in another division/department.

Personal qualities• Well presented • Drive and determined to succeed• Independently minded • Team player

Qualifications required• 5 GCSE's A*-C including Maths, English language & Science

2 A-Levels grade A-C with at least 1 STEM subject (Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths) or equivalent.

Business Administration ApprenticeCSC Computer Science Corporation

The Project Management Apprenticeship will cover an 18 month syllabus whereby in Year 1 you will work towards a Level 3 – Business Administration qualification with progression to a Level 4 within the same period.

Starting weekly wage £230.00

Personal qualities• A passion and interest in Business Administration, Finance and Project Management. • Good analytical and problem solving skills. • Excellent communication skills, with a strong Customer service ethos. • Ability to work independently, or as part of a team, and participate in peer to peer knowledge transfer. • Ability to work calmly under pressure, and handle conflicting priorities. • Responds well to positive leadership. • Ongoing willingness to develop new skills and embrace new technologies. • Positive Attitude.

To work within the Project Management and Business Support function to provide information, reporting, assignment and planning, deployments, demand and sourcing. • End to End Project Lifecycle Governance/Compliance. • Financial Management and Control. • Schedule/Plan Co-Ordination. • Risk and Issue Management. • Resource & Demand Management. • Change Management. • Mailbox Management. • Measurement & Reporting.

SAS Daniels Legal Apprenticeship• What can you expect during your apprenticeship?Apprentices are employees of SAS Daniels and are personally mentored by one of our solicitors or partners. Training and assessment is delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University who work closely with SAS Daniels throughout the apprenticeship and who are in regular contact with our apprentices as they visit and assess in the work place.• Year one of your apprenticeshipThe first year will be your starting point in a successful career in law. Through on and off the job training, you’ll be helping our solicitors with duties and we’ll be helping you build your legal knowledge.After you have completed the One Year Apprenticeship, you’ll be invited to apply for the second phase of the programme – the two year Higher Apprenticeship.• The Higher ApprenticeshipDuring the Higher Apprenticeship you’ll be immersed in the legal work carried out by SAS Daniels – assisting solicitors and partners with their legal matters, having your own responsibilities within the team, carrying out legal research and building relationships with our clients.• What is SAS Daniels looking for?We are looking for bright, ambitious students who have completed A Levels or equivalent, who have decided to pursue a vocational rather than academic / university route.As well as demonstrating a passion for working in the legal sector and sharing our firm’s values you will need to show real drive and determination to succeed in what can be a demanding sector.Entry level for the Legal Apprenticeship Scheme is 240 UCAS points GCSEs in English, Maths and Science, grades A* – C.• Pay and benefits• A starting salary of £12,000 a year;• 24 days holiday (plus bank holidays);• Nationally recognised apprenticeship qualifications;• All training costs fully funded.

Question for the Apprentice

What was your Apprenticeship “offer” ?

Where did you find out about Apprenticeships and vacancies?

Apprenticeships/Sponsored Degrees

Key points to think about:-• Competition can be fierce • Recruitment and selection processes are time consuming• UCAS Points Tariff range from 160 to 340• Some skills shortage areas are less competitive• Minimum pay is £2.65• Average is £170 per week across all apprenticeships• Higher Apprenticeship starting salaries range from 8K to 23K • Very limited number of Higher Apprenticeships in Wigan• Driving licence is invaluable• Wage rises and bonuses • Usual recruitment age 16 to 24• Can be a progression route to HE• No tuition fees (normally)• Earn while you learn

The Process – The Audit Programme

Online application

Situational Judgement

Tests

Verbal and numerical

reasoning test

First round interview

Analysis exercise

Partner Interview

Second round interview

A telephone call

Presentation

Click here to hear about the application

process!

Question for the Apprentice

• How did you find the recruitment and selection process?

• Was it competency based?

• What advice would you give young people in the audience about applying for Apprenticeships and the recruitment and selection process?

Employability SkillsEmployability skills are those that are particularly sought by recruiters as they make for effective employees, with skills useful in any role.

There are several definitions of employability skills, but the CBI have produced a useful list with definitions - see the CBI website: Boosting employability skills for definitions and a checklist. • Self-management • Teamwork • Business and customer awareness • Problem solving • Communication and literacy • Application of numeracy • Application of Information Technology • Entrepreneurship • Underpinning all skills - a positive attitude.

Plus those outlined in the person specification for that job role

The STAR ApproachSituation: Explain the situation that you were in. This should be a short description, it could be: ‘during my college course’ or ‘whilst working in a shop’.Task: You need to briefly explain what it is that you had to do, and what the success criteria was. If you were working as a group explain what the overall task of the group was but be clear about your own role.Action: This is the most substantial part (around 50-70%) of any example and you need to include:• What you did.• Why you did it.• How you did it.• What skills you used.Result: There is little point in explaining the situation, task and action if the employer or course provider is left wondering whether what you did made any difference. So be prepared to explain:• What happened as a result of the actions you took?• What you would do differently or improve?• What impact the result had overall on the team task?

Young people in the room

• Do you know what occupational areas you are interested in?

• Do you know what “competencies” as well as entry requirements a potential employer is looking for?

• Do a “Gap Analysis” and address the gaps

• Don’t say it prove it! Where is the evidence??

NCS Job Profiles

Skills, interests and qualities

To be a social media manager, you’ll need:• great communication skills• to enjoy working with people and have a sociable personality• good organisation and time management skills • an eye for detail and the ability to work accurately • an interest in internet marketing and social media trends• the ability to deal with more than one task at a time • creativity • presentation skills • an analytical approach to data• good writing skills• a commitment to keep on top of changes in technology.https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/socialmediamanager.aspx#

Apprenticeship : Examples of College Leaver Destinations

• Stockport Council (Project Management/Democratic Services)• Stephensons Solicitors (Legal Executive)• BDO (Trainee Auditor)• Horwich Farrelly (Legal Executives x 3)• Vodaphone (Software Developer)• Fourteen IP (IT Network Services and Internal Communications)• Kuits Solicitors (Social Media Marketing Coordinator)• BacSol (Trainee Quantity Surveyor)• Trelleborg (IT Project Management)• 3P Logistics (Customer Services)• UKFast (IT Network Services)• Hanson (Mineral Technologist/Trainee Site Supervisor)• AstraZeneca (HR Management Trainee)• MI5/6/GCHQ (Technology Degree) • SAS Daniels LLP (Legal Services)• BAE Systems (Software Developer)• Birchall Blackburn (Legal Services)

St John Rigby College - Apprenticeship Case Study Template

Lauren Davies

• Achieved grades: – IT A Level-B– Business BTEC-D*D*

• Name of the company: Kuits Solicitors• Title of the apprenticeship: Social Media and Digital, Level 3 at The Juice

Academy• Why a career in Social Media Marketing?I use social media every day of my life as I am sure you also do, this means I get to apply this to a business environment and help my place of work develop in the social media world. For example where I work just one part of my job has been helping develop and improve 10 Twitter accounts across the firm. I’ve also helped rebrand the accounts to make them consistent. What I like particularly about my position is it crosses over a lot with regular marketing which I also find really interesting but was unsure of which path to follow, so the fact I get to do both every day and each day is different for me is brilliant. I can honestly say I LOVE my job!

St John Rigby College - Apprenticeship Case Study Beth Keeley

• Achieved grades: – BTEC Sub Applied Biology Distinction– IT BTEC ND -D*/D*

• Name of the company: Vodaphone• Title of the apprenticeship: IT Higher Apprenticeship Level 4• Why a career in IT

I have always enjoyed IT and wanted to build on the qualifications from SJR which is an excellent foundation for my next steps into a Higher Apprenticeship.

I'll be at the HQ in Newbury on the 28th of September, for a three day induction programme spread over several weeks and I'll be based in Manchester. It's £20,000 per annum then after my 2 years training it's £22,000, I think it's definitely one of the best apprenticeships I could have got. They pay for all your training and support you in your personal development.

St John Rigby College - Apprenticeship Case Study Daniel Sharples

A Level grades: A, A*, B in Business Studies, History and ICT Destination: Business Administration Apprenticeship (Level 4) at Stockport CouncilWhy did you decide to pursue an Apprenticeship?I had originally planned to go to University to study Politics and/or History, as it seemed the natural progression following college, however I struggled to explain why I wanted to go to University when filling in my ‘Personal Statement’ and therefore decided to explore other options. What are the benefits?Entering an organisation at a lower entry level and being paid as you rise through the structure and learn at the same time is a much better option than paying for university and entering at a higher level. From working in a large organisation like a Local Authority, I have seen that apprentices with experience have a better chance than graduates with no experience when it comes to graduate level vacancies. Having a functional qualification is very beneficial, especially as the organisation pays for it.

The Future

• Apprenticeship Levy (growth + implications for graduate employment market?)

• Apprenticeships and competition for places

• A competency based approach

• Degree Apprenticeship Developments

Future Development MMU• Masters Level 7 Management

• Masters Level 7 MSc Digital & Technology Specialist

• Degree Apprenticeship in UX Design (User Experience)

• Degree Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing

• Degree Apprenticeship for Teaching Assistants

• Degree Apprenticeship in Healthcare Science

• Engineering (Transport)

Employment at 18

AdvantagesNo student debt

More disposable income

Potential for quite high earnings

Foot on career ladder

Many top graduate employers now recruit at 18 too

Broad range of opportunities across a wide spectrum of industries and career sectors

DisadvantagesYou need to be “work ready” at 18

You miss out on the true Uni experience

Not in UCAS (yet), so you can’t source all the opportunities in one place

Each one has separate selection process

Location source own accommodation?

Commitment to a specific job at 18?

Uni gives time to grow, develop, build networks, prepare for a changing world?

Sources of Information• NAS Website www.apprenticeships.org.uk• College Careers Service-Apprenticeship face book site links to company and Training

Provider websites • www.notgoingtouni.co.uk Lists vacancies• National Careers Service for CV development and Job Profiles to support applications

www.direct.gov.uk/nationalcareersservice• CBI Employability Skills http://www.cbi.org.uk/business-issues/education-and-

skills/in-focus/employability/• School Leaver Guide and reviews of Apprenticeship programmes

http://www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/apprenticeships• College Intranet Careers “drop down” menu

Any final questions?

Contact details

tony.dann@sjr.ac.uk

Please can we thank Reece

Thank you for your support

Safe journey home