Apprenticeships and traineeships
The main options for 16-18 year olds who want a job with training are:
Apprenticeships
A paid job with an employer, usually with day release to college or a training provider to get the qualifications needed for the job. There are many types of apprenticeship available throughout Norfolk from engineering to care and hospitality. Apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds are available at intermediate and advanced levels and take between one and four years to complete - depending on the sector and the job. Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are available to young people at 18+.
Traineeships
Traineeships are for young people who are not yet ready to go straight into an apprenticeship but still want to work with an employer to develop their skills and gain experience. Traineeships provide up to six months training with an employer to develop the skills and experience needed to move on to an apprenticeship.
Work preparation programmes and short courses
Some 16-18 year olds are not ready to go into a full-time college course or into work and need extra time and support to develop their skills and confidence in order to make that next step. Work preparation programmes and short courses can help to bridge that gap – they vary in length from a few weeks to up to a year, are usually tailored to the needs of the individual young person and many have start dates throughout the year.
When to apply
Getting a job takes time and effort and young people need to apply themselves if they want to get a job with training.
- Year 11s can contact companies or training providers at any time during Year 11 to ask if they will be recruiting apprentices in the summer.
- Some larger local and national employers will open their apprenticeship recruitment schemes for school leavers from October, so it's important to start looking early.
- However, most Norfolk companies will start their apprenticeship recruitment from January onwards.
To find out more about apprenticeships, traineeships and re-engagement courses and to view the latest vacancies in Norfolk try:
Opportunities section of Help You Choose
Find the latest apprenticeship vacancies and traineeship opportunities in Norfolk
https://www.helpyouchoose.org/courses/opportunitiesApprenticeships Norfolk
provides information on becoming an apprentice in Norfolk with links to training providers
https://apprenticeshipsnorfolk.org/Find an apprenticeship service
where young people can search for apprenticeships and set up an account to receive alerts and make applications
https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeshipFind a traineeship
search and apply for a traineeship in England
https://www.gov.uk/find-traineeshipA Parent's Guide to Apprenticeships
a useful guide with videos from Success at School
https://successatschool.org/advicedetails/1204/a-parents-guide-to-apprenticeshipsAmazing Apprenticeships Parent & Carer Zone
Amazing Apprenticeships have a Parent & Carer Zone on their website and produce monthly Parents & Carers packs plus other resources (including a podcast) to help you understand the benefits of apprenticeships as well as lots of useful hints and tips on finding vacancies and applying for them.
https://amazingapprenticeships.com/parent-zone/Support for parents and guardians
Information and resources for parents and carers from apprenticeships.gov.uk
https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/support-for-parents-and-guardians