Apprenticeships
If you’d like to earn while you learn or want recognition and a great qualification for all the hard work you have been doing for years why not take the plunge and do an Apprenticeship. Apprentices learn on the job, building up knowledge and skills, gaining qualifications and earning money all at the same time. You work towards a work- based qualification such as a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and other nationally recognised qualifications.
Whether you’re 16 – 18 or 19 to over 60 there are lots of opportunities available across many industries and don’t worry if you don’t have employment we have lots of employers waiting to take an apprentice on.
What is an Apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are an excellent way of gaining qualifications and workplace experience. As an employee, you can earn as you learn and you gain practical skills from the workplace. As an adult working for an employer you can get gain a nationally recognised qualification giving you recognition for the hard work you have been doing.
How can I Learn and Earn?
Learn on the job
Apprentices learn on the job, building up knowledge and skills, gaining qualifications and earning money all at the same time.
You work towards a work-based qualification such as a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and other nationally recognised qualifications.
Employers all over the country recognise and value Apprenticeships as they show that you’ve been trained in the skills they need.
Apprenticeships typically take between one and four years to complete, depending on the type of framework. There is no set time to complete an Apprenticeship as they vary widely in content and size. The length of time taken will depend on the ability of the individual apprentice and the employer’s requirements.
Earn while you learn
Apprentices do real jobs for real employers. So you’re paid while you learn. If you are entering work for the first time, you will start earning from day one of your Apprenticeship.
There is no set rate of pay for apprentices, however all employed apprentices must receive a wage of no less than £2.60 per hour and a recent survey showed that the average wage per week for an apprentice is now around £170 and in some job roles around £210 per week.
As your skills develop, your pay will increase accordingly. You may also get additional money for essential books, clothing or equipment, or to help you with a disability. As an apprentice, you will receive the same benefits as other employees such as pension contributions, subsidised canteen and leisure facilities.
Apprenticeships are increasingly recognised as the gold standard for work-based training. There are over 85,000 employers offering Apprenticeships in more than 130,000 locations; there are almost 200 frameworks suitable for hundreds of job roles.
What levels of Apprenticeships are available?
There are two levels of Apprenticeship available at Blackburn College for those aged 16 and over:
Apprenticeships (equivalent to five good GCSE passes)
Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as an NVQ Level 2, Key Skills and, in some cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification such as a BTEC.
These provide the skills you need for your chosen career and allow entry to an Advanced Apprenticeship.
Advanced Apprenticeships (equivalent to two A-level passes)
Advanced apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as NVQ Level 3, Key Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge based certificate such as a BTEC.
To start this programme, you should ideally have five GCSEs (grade C or above) or have completed an Apprenticeship.
Will my training will be relevant?
Apprenticeships are designed with the help of the employers in the industry, so they offer a structured programme that takes you through the skills you need to do a job well.
There are targets and checks to make sure that your employer is supporting you and you are making progress.
As an employee you will be in employment for most of your time as most training takes place on the job. A very small percentage of your training will be carried out at Blackburn College You can complete this off-the-job training on day release or over a number of days in a block.
The amount of time you spend varies according to your Apprenticeship. It could be anything from one day every other fortnight to two days every week
Who are they for?
There may be different entry requirements for Apprenticeships depending on the sector you want to work in. You just need to be living in England and not taking part in full-time education.
Apprenticeships are open to all age groups above 16years-old whether you are just leaving school, have been working for years or are seeking to start a new career.
Competition for places with employers can be fierce, so you will need to show that you are committed, and aware of your responsibilities to both yourself and the company who would employ you.
You also need to be happy to work as both part of a team and individually, and be able to use your own initiative.
What do I get out of It?
There are lots of benefits to doing an Apprenticeship. You can earn while you learn, and learn in a way that is best suited to you – through hands-on experience on the job.
Earnings
Research shows that apprentices earn, on average, over £100,000 more throughout their lifetime than other employees. Your career doesn’t have to stop at the Advanced Apprenticeship, if you want to go on to University you will find many institutes of Higher Education value your skills and knowledge and will happily offer you a place on a Foundation Degree or other higher level qualifications.
Support during training
Blackburn College will make sure you have support. Their job is to ensure that your training fits your personal requirements, offers the skills needed for the job and satisfies national standards. They will also be there to help you through any difficult times.
Prospects
Apprenticeships can be demanding but they are very rewarding. Because Apprenticeships train you in the skills employers want, they give you choices in your career. When you’ve finished you can carry on working, maybe get promoted or go on to higher education in a college or university.
Why Blackburn College?
Blackburn College is the second largest college with a University Centre in the country and has been providing Apprenticeships for over 15yrs with both national and local employers. We have dedicated teams working on and supporting learners to find an employer and employees in work to get the best out of their training making sure they get recognised for all their hard work.
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