Find Apprentices

Find Apprentices is part of the Find Apprenticeships family and we are here to help you find an apprentice for your organisation. FindApprenticeships.co.uk was launched in 2014 by its founder Darryn Lewis, a dedicated individual who is committed to helping young budding apprentices find their ideal apprenticeship from all across the UK.

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How to become an Apprentice!

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Our new website is now up and running!

Find Apprenticeships is fast becoming the UK’s #1 independent job site for budding apprentices to find their ideal apprenticeship opportunity. FindApprenticeships.co.uk was launched in 2014 by Darryn Lewis a recruitment professional who recognised there was a “Skills Shortage” across many industry sectors, and the only way to tackle this problem was for organisations to train and retain their workforce via apprenticeships. “Since launching in 2014 we have seen a huge increase in activity from both employers and candidates alike.” Recent announcements in the press highlighting the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy demonstrate the importance of apprenticeships. It is a huge step in the right direction for the government to start taxing companies with a levy and in return supplementing their apprenticeship training with payouts from the £3billion pot they accumulate. In 2015 the government set a target of 3 million apprenticeship starts by 2020, as of January 2017 there had been 780,000 which means that to achieve this target there would need to at least 150,000 apprenticeship starts each quarter up to the deadline. At present the government are confident they are on tract and the levy will help to achieve this monumental target. There is much scepticism around apprenticeships with many negative comments such as people assuming companies are using apprenticeships for cheap labour or that the minimum wage is too low. However in our opinion we can only see added benefits of apprenticeships for employers and life changing experiences for budding apprentices. Employers can take hold of their succession planning by introducing an apprenticeship training scheme to help retain knowledge and train their employees from the ground up, which in term will reduce their recruitment costs and increase their retention levels. As for young individuals between the age of 16-24 apprenticeships offer debt free learning, with the average cost of going to university spiralling you could end up £30-£5k in debt. Plus you will receive on the job training from the experts and start carving out a career in your chosen field. You can find apprenticeships in many different sectors from Plumbing, Construction to Accounting or even Information Technology. No matter what your aspirations are in life you can be sure there is an apprenticeship opportunity out there for you. Send an email to Darryn Lewis of Find Apprenticeships 01525 375443

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the apprentice, hired, fired, apprenticeship

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The Yorkshire National Apprenticeship Show!

On 21 & 22 September 2017 Yorkshire event centre will host the National Apprenticeship Show covering Yorkshire & North East England. With over 70 employers and providers showcasing opportunities to thousands of visitors in a lively, interactive, fun and informative setting.

Sign Up Here

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We have detailed below 7 of the top reasons as to why we believe an apprenticeship offers better prospects than going to university……

1) On The Job Training – Learn from those who know best. Individuals who have been working within your chosen trade will be able to share their knowledge and experience with you face to face, with a structured programme in place.

2) Earn While You Learn – As an apprentice you’ll earn a wage whilst learning what you love most.

3) Qualification – An apprenticeship will allow you to gain a recognised qualification and and in some cases, equivalent to a foundation level degree!

4) Debt Free – No tuition fees, no accommodate fee’s, no student overdrafts! The average student could well face debt of £30,000 plus from going to university.

5) Kick Start Your Career – An apprenticeship gives you a head start amongst the competition with on the job training and practical experience, which you can use to improve your career profile.

6) Secure Your Future – Most employers will offer a full-time career if you successfully complete your training, helping to secure and improve your prospects for the future, without the worry of having to job search!

7) Legal Protection – Peace of mind can now be assured, the government has announced plans to give apprenticeships legal protection by preventing employers from abusing the term.

Don’t delay find an apprenticeship today!

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYSl1eqVh8w)

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The Top Apprenticeship Careers list 2016

TOP APPRENTICESHIP CAREERS LIST in association with The Telegraph

• The list will be published in the Telegraph, both online and in print, in September 2016 • The list will also be printed in the annual Apprenticeship Careers Guide that goes out to every school (over 3,000) schools nationally, and is available online. • Nominations are open from 25th January 2016 until 5th August 2016. The nominations will be independently adjudicated by an expert advisory panel. Submission is free of charge. • Top organisations will be listed by industry with a separate SME section

Do you offer apprenticeships? Please submit your nominations here

TOP APPRENTICE CAREERS LIST 2016 WELCOMES APPRENTICE EMPLOYERS TO SHINE

EMPLOYERS who invest in apprenticeships are being invited to submit details of their apprentice programmes to the nationally recognised Top Apprenticeship Careers List 2016. The list, to be produced in association with the Daily Telegraph, will raise awareness of credible apprenticeships and celebrate the country’s leading companies within the most popular industry sectors, all whom are investing in young people today.

Accepting entries from across a range of sectors and industries, from construction to health and beauty, as well as the Daily Telegraph, the Top Apprenticeship Careers List 2016 will also be printed in an Apprenticeship Careers Guide which will be distributed to hundreds of schools throughout the country.

Sarah Garrett, Managing Director for Square Peg Media comments: “Apprenticeships play a fundamental role to the future success of thousands of businesses today and so recruiting the best young people is essential. Through the Apprenticeship Careers List, we are looking to showcase some of the most credible apprenticeship schemes available. As well as demonstrating some of the excellent learning programmes available, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of apprenticeships for young people - not just as an alternative to University but also to reduce youth unemployment figures which in some parts of the country have reached an all-time high.”

The List, highlighting the best employers of apprentices by industry, will be announced in September, ahead of the Apprenticeship Careers Show in October. Also included is a separate SME section, allowing smaller companies to demonstrate their offering to apprentices on a smaller scale. Each category will be independently judged by a series of industry experts and former apprentices and there is no charge for companies to submit their details.

Last year, it was revealed by the Government that the term ‘apprenticeship’ will receive legal protection, meaning that any companies using it will have to support it with at least a year’s training and other requirements.  Furthermore the government has pledged to create three million apprenticeships by 2020.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: "If university graduates have their moment in the sun, so should people who undertake apprenticeships. Businesses know their value, so it's high time they were recognised both by the public and in law as being equal to degrees."

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Do you want to be the next Spielberg?!

The London Film Academy is looking for the next generation of film makers and are offering a fantastic opportunity with their Young Filmmakers’ Academy which is aimed at 13 to 17 year olds and is the perfect way to introduce young people to practical filmmaking. Offering training and workshops in the main areas of filmmaking, these 2-week summer courses, located in London, culminate in the production of live action shorts, which can serve as the starting point for a career in film.

Course Features

Gain an understanding of each of the different roles involved in making films. Go from story, to script to screen. Varied, collaborative and fun workshops led by a team of experienced teachers and film professionals. Train in 6 key disciplines and achieve a range of film credits. Learn how to write and direct - how to generate stories and how to communicate with actors. Explore the fundamentals of cinematography & sound: digital formats, camera sensor sizes, lens choices, data rates and recording media. Leave with the skills to shoot and make your own films with the equipment at your disposal, from mobile phones to apps and computer software. Receive IMDB credits, and a DVD of work produced. Invite friends and family to celebratory film screenings.

Course Overview

Duration: Two weeks

Guided by experienced filmmaking professionals and teachers, this practical, multi-disciplinary course provides innovative, enjoyable and relevant training in the various roles behind the camera including: screenwriting, directing, camera operating, cinematography, boom operating and sound mixing, and recording. Shooting a number of films in a studio or on-location environment using a high-end HD camera, all participants will experience the latest in digital acquisition by shooting films in HD with sync sound dialogue recording.

Our Young Filmmakers will learn about the collaborative nature of filmmaking, working as a team with their peers. They will learn to combine technical skills with visual communication and narrative storytelling, developing stories into scripts and then shooting their films with professional actors. An experienced editor will guide them through editing films using Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere. All films made on the course will then be shown to family and friends at a celebratory screening.

Click Here to Apply

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SBC Training Awards Ceremony 2016

Photograph: Jack Meredith, from Boxall and Edmiston, accepting his Oustanding Apprentice award for Engineering Technologies alongside Mayor of Shrewsbury Miles Kenny.

SBC Training recognised their hardworking students and apprentices at the recent annual awards ceremony which celebrated the outstanding quality of work and achievements delivered by students over the last year.

Colin Thaw, Managing Director at SBC Training, said “More than 462 learners are currently on training programmes with SBC Training and we are always keen to recognise their achievements so that they can receive the praise that they deserve”

He added “Making that final selection is never easy and everyone who was nominated should feel very proud of what they have acheived”

Business Administration and Law, Commercial, Health & Social Care and Engineering Technologies all put forward nominees, along with a category for outstanding employer which was made up of our highly successful training partners. SBC Training's Business Development Manager Sam Shaw lead proceeding and announced the talented list of nominees along with those who were lucky enough to win.

Special guest for the evening was his worship the Mayor of Shrewsbury Miles Kenny who himself undertook an Apprenticeship at the beginning of his career and spoke passionately about the importance of young people finding Apprenticeship opportunities.

Picking through the long list of nominees proved to be a difficult job due to the vast number of talented young people to have succeeded this year. Among the nominees were five representatives from the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital who had all gone above and beyond this year with the completion of further qualifications and an overall positive contribution to the work of the trust.

Allen Edwards, Training Advisor at RJAH said “We are very proud of all of our apprentices and these five individuals all deserved their recognition”

 “All of them have worked very hard to undertake their qualifications and to combine that academic work with holding down a full-time job as well”

Plas Fynnon Medical Practice stole the show by securing the Outstanding Employer Award having shown excellent commitment to their staff development and providing opportunities for them to progress in to permanent positions.

Special thanks go to all of the SBC Training partners who were nominated for awards who continue to support their staff with their personal development.

SBC Training would like to thank everyone who was able to attend the Awards Evening and looks forward to working with you, your colleagues and associates to develop the skills of the future workforce.

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National Apprenticeship Week is just over 9 weeks away, what will you pledge this year?

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Apprenticeships can help construct the UK!

Unless you’ve been visiting another planet recently you have probably become bored with every day mentioning of “skill shortages”. That’s right - apparently employers are struggling to find the skills to keep their businesses flowing. One would say they should have realised this a while ago but lets just put it down to the last economic down turn or should we say the “financial meltdown”.

During the last recession many companies had to make changes to their employee numbers which has subsequently now caused them some serious issues, but who could have predicted the economy would have recovered as fast as it did? Unfortunately for a lot of firms and for many long standing employees a number of organisations had to make cut backs and in my opinion this has now resulted in the current “skill shortages”. Recruitment was the last thing on their minds whilst struggling to keep their companies afloat and yet now they are all rushing round to address the shortage situation.

One of the main industries to have been affected is construction, firms are struggling to keep up with demand for building, housing and infrastructure projects. Why? They don’t have enough resources to complete projects or to get them off the ground. Some housing developers are slowing down their build process due to high costs, the resources they require are just too expensive and it’s a struggle for developers or consultancies to pass this cost on to clients or purchasers.

“AECOM, the infrastructure and support services group, carried out a survey which with some of the major contractors within London such as; Galliford Try, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine and Willmott Dixon, and found that due to a hot market they are having to turn down one in every two bidding opportunities.”

So what’s the solution? Home grown talent in the form of apprenticeships!

As skill shortages within the construction sector are continuously growing, it’s causing UK prices to soar and so the industry is on the lookout for young apprentices like YOU!

It predicted that construction costs have inflated annually by 10% during this year, increases of 7% are expected in 2016 before falling back to down to 5.5% in 2017.

There has been evidence found to suggest that buoyant markets had an adverse effect on labor costs i.e. the private residential sector. Fears of rising labor costs have been highlighted, particularly in bricklaying, quantity surveying and other trades due to a lack of available talent!

Training, skills and opportunities need to accelerate hugely for construction jobs to keep up with the current demand so how about we create and you deliver – we’ll create the access to available apprenticeship roles and you learn and deliver the skills required to help boost our economy?

Here’s a few benefits of the construction industry:

·       The construction industry value chain consists of 300,000+ firms.

·       Construction is an important driver of economic activity - £1 spent on construction output generates a total of £2.84 in total UK economic activity.

·       Employment within the construction sector is applicable to many UK regional, local and even worldwide economies.

·       Skills within construction are transferable across many industry sectors such as Rail, Infrastructure, Residential, Commercial and Facilities.

Construction apprenticeships will and can open up the doors to budding apprentices to learn transferable skills to develop your career and become an expert in your field. Whether you want to learn to be a bricklayer or a project manager there are thousands of organisations’ who are looking to grow their talent with some excellent apprenticeship programmes.

Companies such as Carillion, Kier, Amey and Vinci are offering you the opportunity to learn from the best and develop the skills you need to be successful within the construction industry.

Check out this great video from @FutureWorksYrks @terriannmusic:

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Women in Apprenticeships = Diversity & Equality!

For many years now there has been “Diversity” on the lips of a significant number of organisations across the UK, but more importantly the “Gender pay gap”. There have been many arguments from both genders to try and justify the reasons why; this is the 21st century, there should no belief that men are better than women at certain roles, over the years this has diminished and the days for excuses are over. It’s time to focus on building a bridge and closing the gap, increasing our economy and productivity whilst utilising all available resource.

In 2014/15, 53% of apprenticeships starts were by women (261,000) and 47% by men (231,000) however, gender segregation between sectors is still present. The pattern of dwindling numbers continues as women move into the workplace. 53% of apprenticeship starts were women however only 2% of these we’re in construction and 4% in engineering sectors.  Stats also show that the UK has the lowest proportion of female engineers in the European Union, at less than 10%. In contrast, more than 90% of women made up hairdressing apprenticeships in 2011-12, according to unionlearn, the TUC’s skills organization.

On this basis alone, there has never been such a greater opportunity for organisations to help diversify their businesses and introduce more women into what was once a male dominated workforce. Now I’m not talking about jobs like sales such as estate agents or car salesman but more directly the skilled sectors such as engineering and construction. A typical stereotype is those working on building sites or within factories, commonly landscaped with grease or cement covered males showing off their masculinity and whistling to the young lady walking down the street.

Well as we all know times have changed and an ever increasing number of women are entering into the construction world and also becoming skilled in many different sectors such as plumbing, electrical or even brick laying. Apprenticeships now offer women the opportunity to learn on the job skills within all sectors and they shouldn’t feel out of place due to the common stereotypes and judgemental thoughts by others…  

A lot of people may forget who kept this country running while our troops were at war, below is just an example of typical job roles managed by women during the war:

Mechanics

Engineers

Tank Drivers

Building Ships

Working in factories - making bombs and aircraft parts

Air raid wardens

Driving fire engines

Plumbers

Ambulance drivers

WRVS volunteers

Nurses

As more and more women take up apprenticeships the skills gap between male and females will have shrunk and then justifiably the pay gap should then be more in line with each other.

I for one am an advocate for more women in apprenticeships, not enough women sit on boards of directors in FTSE 100 companies, and it has been suggested that by 2020 the number needs to increase to 20% but even that sounds minor to me.

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Apprenticeship 4 England Training Provider Awards

“Apprenticeship 4 England Training Provider Awards And Apprenticeship Employer Awards 2016 Celebrating quality, excellence and best practice in Apprenticeships!”

Apprenticeships 4 England will host the 3rd Apprenticeships 4 England Apprenticeships Awards to recognise outstanding examples of quality, best practice, innovation and excellence in Apprenticeship Delivery

The awards will be presented at The Voice of Apprenticeships Gala Dinner on the evening of the 25th Feb  2016 at the Emiriates Stadium, London.

Apprenticeships 4 England Training Provider Awards 2016 are to reward training providers & apprentice employers, who have excelled in contributing to the development of Apprenticeship programmes in England. These Awards  showcase and celebrate the achievements of those who have exceeded expectations and have shown a dynamic approach to training, demonstrated initiative and enterprise, innovation and creativity, and shown an understanding of, and commitment to the improvement of quality & skills development in the delivery of Apprenticeships.

The Awards offer organisations the chance to be recognised and rewarded for their commitment, hard work, achievements and success in delivering Apprenticeship programmes in England. Finalists of the Apprenticeship 4 England Training Provider of the Year Award categories will each be invited to attend the prestigious black tie award ceremony which will beheld at the Emirates Stadium  London on the evening of 25th Feb 2016, Winners will receive a specially designed trophy at the Awards. The Awards are sponsored by Smart Assessor.     To enter the 2016 Awards Click here Apprenticeships 4 England Training Provider Awards 2016 are to reward training providers, who have excelled in contributing to the development of Apprenticeship programmes in England.  

Categories  of entry College: Primes :Sub Contractor

Training Provider Categories - Colleges

Training Provider             (over 1250 Apprentices in learning)

Training Provider             (501-1249 apprentices in learning )

Training Provider             (251- 500 apprentices in learning)

Training Provider             (1-250 apprentices in learning)

Training Provider             Sub Contractor

Apprenticeship Employer Awards. These awards recognises and celebrates the employer’s commitment to developing their workforce through Apprenticeships and supporting their employees during their training.

Categories  of entry:  

Micro Employer of the Year (1-10 employees)

Employer of the Year Award (11-100 employees)

Employer of the Year (101 -500 employees)

Employer of the Year (501-750 employers)

Employer of the Year (751-2000 employees)

Employer of the Year (2001-4999 employees)

Macro Employer of the Year (5000+ employees)

Training providers who work with winners of the Apprenticeship Employer of the year awards will also receive recognition at the Awards and will be presented with an Award as recognition of the partnership work between the Employer and the Training Provider.

These Awards will showcase and celebrate the achievements of those who have exceeded expectations and shown a dynamic approach to training, demonstrated initiative and enterprise, innovation and creativity, and shown an understanding of, and commitment to the improvement of quality & skills development in the delivery of Apprenticeships. The Awards offer organisations the chance to be recognised and rewarded for their commitment, hard work, achievements and success in delivering Apprenticeship programmes in England.

Finalists of the Apprenticeship 4 England Training Provider of the Year Award categories will each be invited to attend the prestigious black tie award ceremony which will be held at the Emirates Stadium  on the evening of 25th Feb 2016, Winners will also receive a specially designed trophy at the Awards. The Awards are sponsored by Smart Assessor.

Become A Sponsor of the Apprenticeships 4 England Training Provider & Apprenticeship Employer Awards CLICK HERE

Contact conferences@apprenticeships4england for further information

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The Top 10 Apprenticeship Myths!

So you’re thinking of starting an apprenticeship but you’ve heard so many conflicting stories?? We’ll we’ve detailed below the top 10 apprenticeship myths and laid to rest these myths and explained exactly what the real facts are.

1 - "Graduates Earn More Than Apprentices" People often believe that apprenticeships won't pay enough, but there are a lot of apprenticeship schemes that pay more than the national minimum wage so it's worth keeping an eye out. At first glance this doesn’t seem like a lot of money but be sure to counterbalance your options. In the long term you actually end up saving money through an apprenticeship scheme, you have no debt and the opportunity to earn whilst you learn! Not forgetting the pay increase once you've received your qualifications. 2 - "Apprenticeships Are Only For People Who Don't Get The Grades To Get Into University" Don't feel obliged to go to university just because people are telling you to. Take time to do your research, talk to people who are currently completing an apprenticeship. Get a personal understanding from someone who is hands on and decide what personally interests you. During your A-levels, the best thing to do is keep your options open. If you apply to universities and apprenticeship schemes simultaneously, you will widen your career path. This gives you a bit of breathing space to make a decision. 3 - "Apprenticeships Are Only Relevant For Studying Within Blue Collar Industries e.g. Construction, Plumbing etc" There's a stereotype that apprenticeships are only available in certain trades but you can actually find apprenticeships in a wide range of sectors. There are over almost 200 different apprenticeships to choose from, with over 1,200 job roles, ranging from engineering to accountancy, veterinary nursing to law and public services.   4 - "Apprenticeships Are Only For Young People" This is a complete misconception. The growth in the number of apprenticeship starts has been largely driven by an increase in the number of apprenticeship starts by people aged 25 and over, totalling 114,000 in 2009/10. You can become an apprentice at any at time in your life as there's no age limit! The only difference is that 16-24 year olds are funded by the government. If you're over 24, you could still train as a Modern Apprentice but funding works differently. In most cases, it will be funded by your employer. 5 -  "I Won't Have A 'Real' Job" An apprenticeship is a real job, but with FREE training included and most schemes are full-time like a regular job. 6 - "Graduates Have Better Career Prospects" Most companies continue employment once apprentices have completed their training. 85 per cent of apprentices stay in employment and two thirds remain with the same employer. Research from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills showed that a third of former apprentices had received a promotion within a year of finishing, and of those in work, three quarters reported taking on more responsibility in their jobs! Graduates often have the struggle of finding a job relevant to their degree or even a job at all when leaving university.  In 2013, the unemployment rate for graduates, six months after leaving university was 7.3% This is due to massive competition of graduates looking for work each year within the same period. Becoming an apprentice puts you one step ahead of the game and it could potentially put you in a position of management by the time your peers have finished university. 7 - "Business Prefer To Hire University Students" Think again! A study has shown that over 80% of employers from the AllaboutSchoolLeavers report in 2015 predicted that the number of apprenticeships starters would overtake graduates within the next five years! Statistics have also shown that there were 440,000 starts in England in 2013/14. 8 - "University Is A Better Route Into Employment Than Apprenticeships" Absolutely not. Becoming an apprentice puts you in a much better position than anyone that has just left university. Almost half (47%) of recent graduates in the UK are working in jobs that are non-graduate roles and the unemployment rate for recent graduates at 9%, has increased from 5% in early 2008. So, if you already have an idea about how you would like to progress in your career then doing an apprenticeship will put you in the perfect position to develop within a company and gain an understanding of  the working environment in your chosen field. 9 - "I Won't Gain A Recognised Qualification" There is a variety of qualifications that can be offered with an apprenticeship.In England, there are three levels of apprenticeships, which each lead to different levels of qualification:

• Intermediate – equivalent to 5 GCSE passes • Advanced – equivalent to 2 A-level passes • Higher – lead to NVQ level 4 and above or a foundation degree. Depending on your chosen scheme, you could end up with: a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ); a Functional Skills qualification; a technical certificate, such as a BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC); a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a foundation degree. 10 -  "Apprentices Miss Out On The Student Life" Working full-time as an apprentice does means you won’t be able party every weekday however, you'll have the weekends to visit and unlike your student friends, you’ll have money to pay for drinks! Plus there's the bonus of having no debts, student loans or overdrafts to pay off afterwards.

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It's finally here.....have your say and help deliver advice to budding apprentice! Please feel free to visit our new forum and register, you can post comments and answer questions....we would appreciate your help if you could share this post to help attract as many people as possible to help deliver a forum of choice for apprenticeships!

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The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister have announced that the National Minimum Wage for apprentices will increase by 57p an hour to £3.30, from October this year.

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Not long now and you will soon be able to have your say on apprenticeships and communicate with others and share stories of your apprenticeship experiences. We are so excited here at FindApprenticeships.co.uk the count down has begun...watch this space!