Apprenticeships
If you are interested in entering employment after Year 11, an apprenticeship could be an excellent option to consider. An apprenticeship allows you to earn while you learn, combining paid employment with training and study. As an apprentice, you will gain hands-on experience in your chosen career or industry while developing the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.
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Apprentices are employed by a company and receive a contract of employment, a salary and the same workplace rights as other employees, including holiday entitlement. Alongside your job, you will complete off-the-job training, usually through a college or training provider. This may take place one day a week (known as day release) or in blocks throughout the year (block release).
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Apprenticeships are available across a wide range of sectors and are no longer limited to traditional trades. Opportunities can be found in areas such as engineering, construction, healthcare, nursing, business, digital technologies, animal care, education and many more.
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There are four main apprenticeship levels:
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Intermediate Apprenticeship (Level 2) - equivalent to GCSE level.
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Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) - equivalent to A Level study.
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Higher Apprenticeship (Levels 4-5) - equivalent to a Higher National Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma (HND) or foundation degree.
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Degree Apprenticeship (Levels 6-7) - equivalent to a bachelor's or master's degree.
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Depending on the level and sector, apprenticeships typically take between one and five years to complete.
Below, you will find a number of short videos that explain apprenticeships in more detail, including how to search for opportunities and make successful applications.
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An introduction to Apprenticeships
Searching for apprenticeships in the current market
You may be considering university as your next step after school. However, there is now an increasing range of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships available, allowing you to gain valuable work experience while studying towards nationally recognised qualifications.
Higher Apprenticeships (Levels 4-5) and Degree Apprenticeships (Levels 6-7) combine paid employment with higher-level study, enabling you to develop professional skills, earn a salary and gain qualifications without the tuition fees typically associated with university. These opportunities are available across a wide range of sectors, including engineering, healthcare, business, digital technologies, construction, education and finance.
Please watch the short video below to learn more about Higher and Degree Apprenticeships, including the benefits they offer and how to apply for them.
The first place to look for apprenticeship is to look on the government website.
www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
This is a national website where students advertise their vacancies. Please see the video below which explains how to register on this website.
There are also a number of different local providers who can support you with looking for an apprenticeship as well as advertise vacancies. It is worth downloading or accessing this guide which gives you an explanation off the different places that offer apprenticeship vacancies in different vocational areas across West Yorkshire.
WEST YORKSHIRE LEARNING PROVIDERS (WYLP)
http://www.wylp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WYLP-Directory-2020.pdf
There are a number of other websites which might be of interest for you surrounding Apprenticeships. Please take a look at these for further information and vacancies.
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https://allaboutapprenticeships.co.uk/
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https://www.bradford.gov.uk/jobs/apprenticeships/apprenticeship-vacancies-in-west-yorkshire/
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https://uk.indeed.com/jobs?q=Apprenticeships&l=Bradford%2C+West+Yorkshire
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IqFUxSLufw
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https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/
If you want help and support with looking for apprenticeships, please contact the careers team at Buttershaw, or email careers@bbec.bdat-academies.org
If you are a parent who is looking to advise your child it might be helpful for you to watch this video which gives general advice on looking for an apprenticeships and the application process.
There is also a podcast you can listen to about apprenticeships from a parent’s perspective, which gives advice on how to support your child to look at this as an option, as well as helping you as the biggest influencer in a young person’s life to make a good decision about their future.
https://amazingapprenticeships.com/the-parent-perspective-podcast/
TRAINEESHIPS
A traineeship is a skills development programme designed to help young people prepare for employment, an apprenticeship or further training. It combines valuable work experience with training and support to develop the skills that employers are looking for.
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Traineeships can vary in length, typically lasting from a few weeks up to one year, although most are completed within six months. As part of the programme, students can improve their English and maths skills where required, while gaining practical workplace experience and developing confidence in a professional environment.
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A traineeship can be an excellent option for students who are not yet ready to begin an apprenticeship or enter employment, but would benefit from additional experience, training and support before taking their next step.
Please watch the video below to find out more about traineeships, what they involve and how they could support your progression into employment, an apprenticeship or further education.
The main provider of these in Bradford is Qube Learning.
There are also other providers of traineeships in the area, who you might want to take a look at. Information can be found on the government website.
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