Diversity and Apprenticeships Guide for Voluntary Organisations

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1 APPRENTICESHIPS FOR ME Diversity and Apprenticeships Guide for Voluntary Organisations Do you work with young people from black and minority ethnic communities? Are they looking for work? Have you considered Apprenticeships? We have put together this guide to give you some straightforward information on what Apprenticeships are, how you can apply and where to go for more information. Why Apprenticeships? 1. Apprenticeships offer the chance to earn money, continue learning and gain real experience. 2. All successful apprentices gain an NVQ 2 or NVQ3, key skills and a technical certificate. 3. Wage returns to apprentices are higher than for other vocational qualifications, such as BTECs and City and Guilds1. 4. Most Apprenticeships are open to people at the start of their career or those who have been working for years who want to gain new skills and qualifications. 5. Successful apprentices have the chance to carry on working, get promoted, go on to college or university. Some apprentices have gone on to open their own businesses. The sky s the limit! Diversity and Apprenticeships in London People from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities make up: 42% of the population of London 30% of people who start Apprenticeships in London 11% of the population of England 6% of people who start Apprenticeships in England Together we can change this Promote Apprenticeships in your organisation and help us to challenge the under-representation of BME young people on Apprenticeships in London.

2 What are Apprenticeships? An Apprenticeship is a work-based learning programme which offers the chance to earn money and gain skills and qualifications at the same time. The apprentice works for most of the week (usually 4 days) and spends part of the week (usually 1 day) studying towards an NVQ, usually at a college or other training provider. Advanced apprentices gain NVQ level 3 qualifications, apprentices gain NVQ level 2s. Apprenticeships differ from companies own training schemes. They are an official programme and brand, managed by the Learning and Skills Council. Did you know... Over the course of their career people who have done an Apprenticeship earn on average 100,000 more than people who haven t2. What Apprenticeships are there? There are Apprenticeships out there to suit all interests, including: Business administration, Information Technology, Advice and Guidance, Animal Care, Customer service, Hairdressing, Sports and fitness, Hospitality and catering, Floristry, Retail, Veterinary nursing, Youth work, Logistics, Aviation, Travel and tourism, Pharmacy assistants and technicians, Automotive industry, Apparel, Marketing and communications, Video game testing, Broadcast film and media, Child care, Nuclear decommissioning, Spa therapy, Water industry, Accounting, Marine industry, Dental nursing, Food manufacture, Environmental Conservation, Purchasing and supply management, Construction, Beauty therapy, Health & social care, Rail transport engineering, Property For complete listings of all Apprenticeships visit

3 Apprenticeship Application Process No Go to Do you know what sort of Apprenticeship you would like to do? Yes There you can find out about the different Apprenticeships which you can do. You have three options for the next step: 1. Apply directly to the company 2. Apply through an Apprenticeship provider 3. Contact the relevant Sector Skills Council for more information 1. Apply directly to the company Some companies (usually the bigger ones) have their own Apprenticeship schemes, which you can apply directly to, usually on their website. Companies who offer Apprenticeships like this include BT, British Gas, London Underground and Tesco. See the further information and resources section on page 6 for more details on where to find out about employers. 2. Apply through an Apprenticeship provider Apprenticeship providers offer the NVQ part of an Apprenticeship. They can be local colleges or private providers, and usually offer a range of Apprenticeship frameworks (i.e. options) to choose from. Providers have links with local employers who are looking for apprentices. For a list of providers and the Apprenticeships they offer, go to click on Information for organisations working with young people and download the Apprenticeships in London document. 3. Contact the relevant Sector Skills Council for more information Sector Skills Councils are organisations who represent the voice of employers in relation to skills for 25 different sectors. If you want more information on an Apprenticeship in a particular sector, visit the relevant sector skills council website. For a list of Sector Skills Councils visit

4 Apprenticeship FAQs 1. What qualifications do you need to apply for an Apprenticeship? Requirements vary from Apprenticeship to Apprenticeship, so check with the relevant employer or provider. A few GCSEs grade C-D or above is usually the minimum requirement; some Apprenticeships ask for 1 or 2 GCSEs, others for 5. You do usually need GSCEs in maths and English to apply. 2. Are apprentices paid? Yes. Apprentices are paid by the employer. Salaries vary from job to job. The minimum Apprenticeship salary is 80 per week; this will rise to 95 per week from August Average Apprenticeship salaries are 170 per week; the highest (electro-technician) is 210 per week. 3. Do apprentices have to pay for the learning part of their Apprenticeship? No. The apprentice does not have to pay for any part of their Apprenticeship. 4. How long does an Apprenticeship take? This varies; between 1 and 4 years. 5. What time of the year do Apprenticeships start? Again, this varies. If you re applying directly through a company, check their website to see when their application process begins and when their Apprenticeships start. If you re applying through a provider, contact them to ask the same. Apprentices should be able to start the work based part of an Apprenticeship at any time, but the learning part often begins in line with the academic year, in September. 6. What happens after someone has successfully completed their Apprenticeship? Successful apprentices have a variety of options in front of them. They could stay at their company or move to a different one, get a promotion or go on to study at college or university. Some apprentices have gone on to open their own businesses, others to management and directorship positions at big companies. For more FAQs and answers go to:

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6 Further Information and Resources The Apprenticeship Guide 2009 A website offering practical information on Apprenticeships. You can search for employers, training providers and Apprenticeship opportunities and find out more information about what Apprenticeships are on offer and how they work. You can also order a hard copy of The Apprenticeships Guide 2009 on the website. The National Apprenticeship Service A website offering information to prospective Apprentices, parents and employers on Apprenticeships. You can watch short films of different Apprenticeships, find out more about each one and read the extensive FAQs section. The National Matching Service Part of the above website, this service allows you to search for Apprenticeships in your area. It was launched in January Opportunities are continually added and updated. Sector Skills Councils There are 25 Sector Skills Councils in the UK, each representing a different sector. Sector Skills Councils exist to represent the voice of employers in relation to skills of each of the sectors. You can search their websites for information on Apprenticeships in each of the sectors. For a list of Sector Skills Councils and links to their websites, visit Apprenticeship case studies Read about real apprentices experiences at /Be-An-Apprentice/Apprentice-Case-Studies.aspx Career Paths of Former Apprentices Read this report on what former apprentices have gone on to do.

7 Apprenticeships for Me - what we can offer you Our mission is to raise awareness about Apprenticeships amongst black and minority ethnic communities in London. We also want to create stronger links between third sector organisations and employers, with the intention that they will work together on apprentice recruitment. Our services for you Space on our website to advertise your organisation to young people and employers Guidance on Apprenticeships to download from our website Access for your service users (aged 14-25, and their parents) to events held in boroughs across London throughout 2009 and 2010 Contact with employers who we work with All of these services are free for voluntary organisations. Apprenticeships for Me For more information on the Apprenticeships for Me project go to or contact Emma Foxall emma@bteg.co.uk

8 Funded by: At: The Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG) is a national charity. We provide a voice to government for charities and voluntary organisations who work with black and minority ethnic communities across England. References 1 McIntosh, S., A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Apprenticeships and Other Vocational Qualifications. Sheffield University Management School. 2 3 McIntosh, 2007 Black Training and Enterprise Group 2009