APPRENTICESHIP GUIDE

ACCOUNTING

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

CHILDCARE

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARESPORT

HOSPITALITY

COOKERY

BEAUTY THERAPY BARBERINGHAIRDRESSING

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL MARKETING

COMPUTING

CUSTOMER SERVICE

PAINTING & DECORATINGBRICKLAYING

JOINERYELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS

MOTOR VEHICLESUPPORTING TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SCHOOLS

WAREHOUSINGCLEANINGDESIGN

MANUFACTURING

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE COMPUTINGBRICKLAYING

JOINERY

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL MARKETING

BARBERING

BUILDING REAL SKILLS FOR REAL JOBSwww.stockton.ac.uk

WELCOMEAre you thinking about undertaking an apprenticeship? Stockton Riverside College offer apprenticeships in a huge range of industries. You’ll be fully supported along the way by our assessors who are all experts in their fields.

CON

TENTS

What Can an Apprenticeship do for You? 5Apprenticeships Explained 6

Apprenticeships We Offer 9

Success Stories 10What Next? 13Finding Your Own Apprenticeship 15How We’ll Support You 19

WHAT CAN AN APPRENTICESHIP

DO FOR YOU? Choosing an apprenticeship gives you the chance to develop your skills and knowledge to specialise in your chosen field.

WHY CHOoSE AN APPRENTICESHIP?There are so many brilliant reasons to chose an apprenticeship including:

Avoiding student debt and university feesEarn a wage while gaining a nationally recognised qualification Develop strong working relationships with employers to broaden your career prospects Gain hands-on work experience to help you stand out from the crowd. Did you know that 77% of apprentices stay with the same employer after finishing their apprenticeship?

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will i have to attend college?Depending on the apprenticeship you choose, you may be required to attend college for half a day or one day per week. Some apprenticeships do not require any in-college learning. Your assessor will inform you of whether or not you are required in college. how long does it take?

Depending on the level and type of apprenticeship you choose to do, your apprenticeship can last anywhere between 1 and 4 years. When you begin your apprenticeship, a timeframe will be agreed between you, your employer and your assessor.

WHAT IS AN APPRENTICESHIP?An apprenticeship is a structured programme, specific to your needs, allowing you to gain knowledge and experience leading to a successful career. It is a mixture of on and off-the-job training enabling you to gain qualifications relevant to your chosen occupation.

Functional skillsIf you do not have GCSEs in maths, English and for some apprenticeships, ICT, you will have to complete Functional Skills qualifications.

WHAT ELSE DOES MY APPRENTICESHIP INVOLVE?As well as studying for your NVQ/Diploma, you will also study additional topics including Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) and Employment Rights and Responsibilities (ERR).

APPRENTICESHIPS EXPLAINED

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How will i be assessed? Throughout your apprenticeship you will be visited in the workplace by your assessor. Some apprenticeships now include an end-point assessment which could include:• A multiple choice short answer test• An observation of practice which is undertaken in the workplace• A learning journal to reflect on the last 3 months of your apprenticeship• A presentation You will be supported throughout the process by your assessor.

how much will i get paid?As an apprentice you are entitiled to a minimum wage which is determined by your age, and the stage you are at in your apprenticeship.

AGe wage

18-20* under 18*

16-19** £3.5019+** £3.5021-24* £7.0525+* £7.50

£5.60

*completed first year of apprenticeship**in first year of apprenticeship

£4.05

Please note that the minimum wage is subject to change.

WHAT DO I NEED?Some apprenticeships require a good level of English, maths and/or ICT. Our initial assessment and your GCSEs results will help inform us of your ability and what support we can offer to get you to the level required.• You must be at least 16 • You must be a UK resident • You must be employed to complete an apprenticeship. We can help with this. See page 15.

Stockton Riverside College offers lots of apprenticeships in a range of different levels from GCSE equivalent level 2 to Foundation Degree equivalent level 5.

APPRENTICESHIPSWE OFFER

Accountingbarberingbeauty therapybricklayingBUSINESS ADMINISTRATION bricklayingchildcareCleaningcomputingcreative mediaDesigndesign and draughtingdigital mediaElectrical electrical installationsEngineeringFabricationfacilities hairdressing

health & social carehospitality joinerymanagement Mechanicalmotor vehiclepainting & decoratingPipefittingperforming manufacturing operationsProject Controlretail sales & telesalesScaffoldingsocial media & digital marketingsport supporting teaching and learning in schoolswarehousing & storageWelding 9

successLUCY RYAN

An apprenticeship has proven just the job for Lucy.

The 23- year-old from Middlesbrough says that she

is enjoying her apprenticeship so much, she doesn’t feel like she’s at work; “I have so much

fun at work, I love it. I’m gaining hands-on experience

and getting paid at the same time.”

There’s nothing like rolling your sleeves up to get you

ahead in the joinery industry. After securing an

apprenticeship with bespoke kitchen and bedroom manufacturer Wilson

Drummond, 17-year-old Ryan is getting that in spades. With

progression to a level 3 apprenticeship on the cards,

Ryan’s hard work and dedication is clearly paying off.

level 3 hairdressing level 2 joinery

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AMY

Securing an apprenticeship was a step in the right

direction for Amy. Having spent three years at college to gain her diplomas in painting

and decorating, the 19-year-old moved into an apprenticeship to gain her

NVQ. With aspirations to eventually launch her own business, Amy

has gained both confidence and experience thanks to her

Samuel is working his way through his Level 3 Business

Administration apprenticeship in the

Corporate Indirect Purchasing department of Cummins

Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain company.

When asked where Samuel hopes his apprenticeship will

lead, Sam has big plans for the future: “My dream is to keep moving up. The next step is to become a Sourcing Specialist.”

Samuellevel 3 business administration level 2 painting & decorating

what next?1. APPLY ONLINE There are 2 ways to apply for our vacancies. If you’re ready to start an apprenticeship now, you can find all of our live apprenticeship vacancies on our website and apply through the National Apprenticeship Service. Or, if you’re still in school, you can apply for apprenticeships ready for when you leave by visiting our website: www.stockton.ac.uk/courses/apprenticeships

2. ATTEND AN INTERVIEW When we receive your application we’ll invite you into the college for an informal information session. It’s nothing to worry about, it’s just so that we can give you interview tips and tell you a bit more about the company that you’ve applied for an apprenticeship with. If you don’t attend this session, your application will not be progressed.As part of this information session you will be asked to complete some short maths and English assessments to make sure you’re applying for the right level of apprenticeship.

If you do not attend this session, your application will not progress any further.

3. INVITE TO INTERVIEWOnce you’ve attended an information session, your application will be passed on to the employer. From there they will shortlist applicants and select for interview. If you’ve been shortlisted you will be invited to interview. If not, don’t worry; we’ll keep hold of your application and put you forward for similar vacancies that we think will suit you.

4. BEGIN YOUR APPRENTICESHIPIf you’ve been successful at interview, you’ll be contacted with a start date and time. If you have any queries at any stage of the application process, the apprenticeship team is here to help. Call 01642 865 577 or email: apprenticeships@stockton.ac.uk

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You don’t have to wait for your dream apprenticeship to be advertised, you can find your own apprenticeship by following our step-by-step guide.

Start by having a think about the type of apprenticeship you want to do and the type of environment you want to work in. Do you think you will enjoy working behind a desk or outdoors? Once you’ve thought about this it’s time to have a look for employers that might want to employ you as an apprentice. There are many ways that you can do this:

1. RESEARCH

ONLINEDirectory sites such as yell.com have contact details of thousands of businesses in your local area.

ASK PEOPLESometimes it’s not what you know it’s who you know. Does your aunty’s friend run a shop? Might they be willing to take you on as an apprentice? Or perhaps your uncle works at a large engineering company. You never know who you may be connected with until you ask.

finding your own apprenticeship

NOTE IT DOWNOnce you’ve completed all of this research, make a list of all of the employers you can approach and their contact details.

take a look The chances are you’ll know your local area pretty well and know of lots of local businesses. Have a look around and see which ones are busy and may need extra help.

You’ve now got your list of employers which is great! The next thing is to contact them. There are a number of ways to do this including:

2. PREPARE

IN PERSONThis may seem daunting but it’s a great way to literally get in front of a potential employer. Remember to bring along a CV so they can have a look over it after you’ve left and they have your contact details.

BY EMAIL If you are contacting a large company it may be best to contact them via email as the chances are they have many different sites and their HR/recruitment team might be based in a different building. Remember to attach a CV and cover letter so that they can clearly see why you would make a great apprentice for their business.

By phoneIf you’re going to phone a company it may be best if you know the name of the person in charge of recruiting new staff as many businesses get dozens of telephone calls a day.

3. GO FOR ITYou’ve done some research and you’re prepared to go and speak to some employers. Make sure you look the part and be polite. Remember to leave your details and be sure to get theirs. This way you can follow up with a phone call or email later on.

finding your own apprenticeship

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4. what next?Hopefully you will have successfully secured an apprenticeship. If you have well done! The next thing is to let us know so that we can arrange for you to be signed up and you can get started.

You’ve been unsuccesful? If you haven’t been successful, don’t panic. Hopefully you’re more confident speaking to employers and you’ve picked up some good tips on how to approach employers. Keep trying and remember, you can still apply for apprenticeships on the National Apprenticeship Service website while you try.

HOW WE’LL SUPPORT YOU

We want all of our apprentices to enjoy their time with Stockton Riverside College, so we offer a range of services to make sure you’ll always feel comfortable and supported.

EXPERT ASSESSOR You’ll be assigned your own assessor who will support you through your apprenticeship. All of our assessors are experts in their field so can give you the support and advice that you need.

EQUALITY & DIVERSITYWe value the diversity of our college community and we are committed to inclusion for all in everything we do.

YOUR SAFETY At Stockton Riverside College we have a team of safeguarding staff to protect all of our students and apprentices to ensure personal safety and safety awareness are priorities.

DISCOUNTED BUS TRAVELWe’ve teamed up with Arriva to offer our apprentices discounted bus travel. You could save up to £321 a year on bus travel.

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Stockton Riverside College, Harvard Avenue, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6FBTel: 01642 865 577 Email: apprenticeships@stockton.ac.uk

www.stockton.ac.uk