Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are an excellent way of gaining qualifications and workplace experience. As an employee, you can earn as you learn and you gain practical skills from the workplace. As employees, apprentices earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off the job, usually on a day-release basis, apprentices receive training to work towards nationally recognised qualifications. Anyone living in England, over 16 years old and not in full-time education can apply.

Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on:

• the level of apprenticeship
• the apprentices’ ability
• the industry sector.

The minimum salary is £2.65 per hour, though some apprentices may be able to earn significantly more.

AET Apprenticeships

AET apprenticeships are ‘proper jobs’ and when an individual joins a programme they become employees of the AET. AET apprenticeships are not just training courses.

AET academies are recruiting now for Apprentice IT Customer Service Technicians and for apprentices in a variety of administration roles at Levels 2 and 3.

From September, most AET apprentices will earn at least £2.85 per hour for a 36 hour week on a 52 week training contract, and will benefit from the AET’s health care scheme.

As AET employees, our apprentices earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Support and study time is provided off-the-job, when our apprentices receive training to work towards nationally recognised BTEC and NVQ qualifications.

Who are they for?

AET apprenticeships are open to all age groups above 16 years old. You can apply if you are just leaving school, if you have been working for years or even if you are seeking to start a new career pathway, providing you live in England or Wales.

You can also apply to the AET whilst you are still in school in Years 11, 12 or 13 with the aim of starting your apprenticeship at the end of your school based education.

What are the entry requirements?

There may be different entry requirements depending on the type of apprenticeship and the nature of your employment. Most AET apprentices will be expected to have at least 5 GCSEs including Maths and English for level 2 intermediate apprenticeships and have at least 5 GCSEs including Maths and English and one A-level (or equivalent) or have completed a level 2 apprenticeship for level 3 advanced apprenticeships. Competition for our apprenticeships can be intense, so you will need to show that you are committed and aware of your responsibilities to both yourself and the AET as your employer. You also need to be willing to work as part of a team and individually, and be able to use your own initiative.

Training

AET apprenticeships offer a structured programme that takes you through the skills you need to do a job well. There are targets and checks to make sure that we are supporting you and that you are making progress.

As an AET employee you will be in employment for most of your time as most training takes place on the job. The rest usually takes place in your place of work but away from your normal job. You can complete this off-the-job training on day release, over the course of your normal week or over a number of days in a block, depending on the job you are working in.

The amount of time you spend varies according to the type of your apprenticeship. The important thing to remember is that all the things you study will be useful in your job and help you succeed in your future career. Your employment will be for at least 32 hours per week but this will vary depending on the job you are doing.

Levels

Apprenticeships are increasingly recognised as the gold standard for work-based training. There are three levels of apprenticeship available:

1. Intermediate Level Apprenticeships - Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as a Level 2 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification.
2. Advanced Level Apprenticeships - Apprentices work towards work-based learning such as a Level 3 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification.
3. Higher Apprenticeships - Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as a Level 4 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in some cases, a knowledge-based qualification such as a Foundation Degree.

Next Steps

The Academies Enterprise Trust carries out recruitment via the TES HireWire system and you will need to create your own username and password the first time you log-in to the TES HireWire recruitment site.

To view the current career opportunities within the Academies Enterprise Trust, please click here.

News

Congratulations to Eston Park and Gillbrook Academies for employing the first apprentices on the new AET Scheme. Further details will follow in the next Apprenticeship Update Newsletter.