» » Apprenticeship Resources for Schools and Parents

Apprenticeship Resources for Schools and Parents

If you are working with a young person who is considering an Apprenticeship, you might have some unanswered questions on what an Apprenticeship is, or how they compare to a traditional University degree.

So, we’ve put together a page of helpful resources designed to make things clearer; and to let you know exactly what is available and how we can help young people on the path to success.

If there is anything you’d like to see here, please send an email and we will make sure it is included on this resource page.

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What do St Helens Chamber offer?

To find out more about our Apprenticeship offer, watch our short video. Please feel free to share this video on your own websites!

What is an Apprenticeship?

An Apprenticeship is a real job, and Apprentices will have a contract like any other employee with the same protections and benefits. They will get holidays, sick leave, and have all the same rights as any other employee – they will always have an employment contract too.

The difference between an Apprentice and a normal employee, is that they will be working towards nationally recognised qualifications while they develop skills in their day to day roles. They will often shadow experienced members of staff to learn the ropes while they learn the theory behind their jobs through their qualifications.

Generally, Apprentices will spend 20% of their time off the job, completing their qualifications. They will work closely with a Training Advisor from St Helens Chamber who will conduct regular workplace visits to ensure that they are getting the most from their Apprenticeships, and to support them to complete their qualifications to the best of their ability.

As part an Apprenticeship, St Helens Chamber can support young people to gain Maths, English and ICT qualifications, if they need them.

Apprenticeships are ideal for young people who don’t enjoy being stuck in a classroom, and those who learn by “doing” – doing an Apprenticeship isn’t a back up option, and employers actually favour candidates with real experience over those with only qualifications.

Download the Apprenticeship benefits leaflet

Download our FAQ Sheet

What can young people do an Apprenticeship in?

You can do an Apprenticeship in almost anything! We offer a wide range of Apprenticeship training, with something to suit every career goal.

View our updated list of Apprenticeship training courses

What do these qualifications mean?

Apprenticeships go from Level 1-7, and each level has an equivalent in traditional education terms. The table below shows the Apprenticeship Level, and the equivalent qualification the young person will get.

Apprentices can go from a GCSE to Master’s degree equivalent by completing an Apprenticeship!

How can the Chamber support young people into Apprenticeships?

The Fast Track programme gives young people aged 16-24 without much work experience the chance to get up to speed with everything that is expected of them in the workplace.

These courses can be tailored to a students career goals, and cover a range of industries. No matter what path they choose each student will cover the following over 12 weeks:

CV and Interview support
Building employability skills
Relevant work experience placement
Awareness of what’s expected in the workplace
Learn about professional behaviour & how to present themselves at work

Download our Traineeship guide for parents/guardians
View our latest course guide to see all the Fast Track courses available
Download our FAQ Sheet

Hairdressing and Manual Skills Apprenticeships

Apprentices can choose specific Fast Track programmes in Hairdressing and Manual Skills and will benefit from training in our purpose built salon or construction training centre in St Helens.

Download the Hairdressing information leaflet
Download the Manual Skills information leaflet

Programmes for Primary and Secondary Schools

We support Primary and Secondary schools with a number of programmes, designed to introduce them to the world of work in a fun and engaging way! For more information or to get your school involved email us and someone will be in touch with more information.

Learning to Work
The Learning to Work programme has been designed to meet these demands in one of the most challenging times for young people to succeed. Our aim is to create these aspirations early in life by working with primary schools, to help pupils progress through difficult transition points from education to employment and give them realistic guidance towards self-identified goals.

If you would like to work with us on one of our Primary/Secondary school programmes, get in touch with Rachel Wellens to discuss how we can help.

Book a talk for your school/college

Our Apprenticeships team are happy to come out to your premises and deliver presentations and talks to students. We can do this remotely, or in person subject to COVID restrictions.

We can tailor presentations to specific year groups, or talk more generally about Apprenticeships and what we have to offer.

Enquire now

Here is an example of a recent virtual open day, to give you an idea on what we usually cover in our presentations:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZN3XUZ50uY

Videos for Students

We are creating new video content for students all the time, so check back regularly for our latest posts.

You can find all of our fun and interactive videos aimed at students here, designed to give them the information they need in a more accessible way – if you would like a copy please get in touch.

St Helens

Support from the National Careers Service

Apprentices training with St Helens Chamber have the added benefit of being able to access our National Careers Service team. The NCS team can help with everything from CV writing to job applications and interview prep, and will work closely with each Apprentice to ensure they have the best possible chances of success.

Download the National Careers Service information leaflet