AllAboutSchoolLeavers Ultimate Guide: Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees by AllAboutGroup

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AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Hello Welcome to the AllAboutSchoolLeavers Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees. Created by the team behind AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk and MyCareerSpringboard.org, this guide is designed to showcase the best, and only the best, employers in the UK for school and college leavers. The guide is also packed with useful information to help you decide what to do when you leave school or college, plus lots of useful tips and advice on job hunting, CVs, cover letters, online application forms and assessment centres.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Contents Introduction

Top Employers for School & College Leavers 2014-15

Award Winners Leaving School? What are your options?

14 What is a...?

Compare & Consider

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Explore Industries

Essential Info

Useful Tips & Advice

Featured Firms

More copies?

100

Interesting Facts

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Why? How? University is not the only option.

Our Top Employers for School &

With the increase in university

College Leavers rankings and

tuition fees, and employers

awards are based on employee

looking for new ways to attract

satisfaction surveys.

talented individuals earlier, there has been a monumental rise in school leaver programmes, apprenticeships and sponsored degrees over the past few years. School leaver programmes, apprenticeships and sponsored degree programmes are structured training and development schemes for young people who are seeking a truly challenging and exciting alternative to higher education. Targeted at talented young people, these schemes are designed for school and college leavers who are keen to gain on-the-job experience whilst simultaneously working towards a qualification. Our Top Employers for School & College Leavers rankings and awards reveal the very best employers for school and college leavers in the UK. By exploring these different employers and finding out more about their school leaver opportunities, you can finally make a fully informed choice about your future. This is the first employer ranking in the UK to focus purely on school leaver programmes, sponsored degrees, Intermediate Apprenticeships, Advanced Apprenticeships and Higher Apprenticeships. Consequently, it’s a great place for you start thinking about your future. Turn the page or visit AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk now to explore and compare the best school leaver programmes, sponsored degrees and Higher Apprenticeships in the UK.

The surveys were completed anonymously by school and college leavers who are currently taking part in school leaver programmes, sponsored degrees and apprenticeships in the UK. Within each survey, the school and college leavers were asked to rate and review their company, their role and their experiences so far. The surveys covered various topics, including: job satisfaction, skills development, training, career progression, salary and benefits, company culture, level of responsibility, working environment, team relationship and work-life balance. An average score and percentage was then meticulously calculated for each participating company. The majority of our award winners were determined by these surveys; however, three of our winners, including School or College Leaver of the Year, were decided by an independent judging panel. Employers submitted a nomination form for each award. These were assessed by our panel, and the winners were chosen at our judging panel meeting. The members of our judging panel were:

• • • • •

Greg Thompson, Financial & Legal Skills Partnership Teresa Firth, Association of Colleges David Field, Escalla Oliver Palmer, The Independent Niel McLean, e-skills UK

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Thank You Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to say a massive thank you to the following contributors for making this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees possible: The Independent; our award sponsors BDO; our fantastic expert judging panel; and all of the companies that took part.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Top Employers for School & College Leavers 2014-15 All Categories 1

Ranking

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Page No.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Level 2 or 3 (GCSEs or equivalent) or (A-Levels, International Baccalaureate or equivalent)

Level 4 or above (NVQs at Level 4, certificates of HE and above)

Award Winners Best

Best

Intermediate Apprenticeship

Advanced Apprenticeship

Higher Apprenticeship

Finalists:

DHL, Fujitsu, Lloyds Banking Group, NG Bailey, VIsa

DHL, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Jaguar Land Rover, Lloyds Banking Group, NG Bailey

Boots, DHL, Fujutsu, Jaguar Land Rover, PwC

Runner-Up: Lloyds Banking Group

Runner-up: Runner-up:

DHL

Fidelity Worldwide Investment

Winner: NG Bailey

Winner: Winner:

Fujitsu

Jaguar Land Rover

Best School Leaver Programme

Best Sponsored Degree

Finalists: BDO, EY, Gordons, Grant Thornton, Laing Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke

Finalists: Aecom, EY, Morrisons, PwC, Ship Safe Training Group

Runner-up: BDO

Runner-up: Aecom

Winner: EY

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Top Employer for School & College Leavers 2014-15

Level 2 or 3

Level 4 or Above

Top Employer for School & College Leavers 2014-15 Finalists:

Finalists:

Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Jaguar Land Rover, Lloyds Banking Group, NG Bailey, Nomura

BDO, DHL, EY, Fujitsu, Jaguar Land Rover

Runner-up: Runner-up:

Runner-up:

DHL

Nomura

Winner: Winner:

Winner:

BDO, Boots, EY, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Fujitsu, Jaguar Land Rover, Nomura, PwC

Jaguar Land Rover

Fujitsu

Jaguar Land Rover

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Category Award Winners Best School & College Leaver Recruitment Website

Best for Job Satisfaction

Best for Career Progression

Level 2 or 3

Finalists:

BDO, Capgemini, Deloitte, IBM, KPMG, PwC

Aecom, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Jaguar Land Rover, Laing O’Rourke, NG Bailey

Alstom, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Fujitsu, Nomura, RSA

Runner-Up:

Runner-up:

Capgemini

Jaguar Land Rover

Nomura

Winner:

IBM

NG Bailey

Alstom

Best Use of Social Media in a School & College Leaver Recruitment Campaign

Best for Job Satisfaction

Best for Career Progression

Level 4 or Above

Finalists:

Accenture, BBC, EY, IBM, PwC

Capgemini, EY, Fujitsu, Gordons LLP, Laing O’Rourke, PwC

Aecom, BDO, Fujitsu, Laing O’Rourke, Virgin Media

Runner-up:

Laing O’Rourke

Fujitsu

Runner-up: IBM

Winner: EY

Winner:

Fujitsu

Virgin Media

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Best Training

Best Level of Support

School or College Leaver of the Year

Level 2 or 3

Finalists:

Alice Belcher, Jaguar Land Rover

Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Jaguar Land Rover, NG Bailey, Nomura, Visa

Aon, Jaguar Land Rover, Lloyds Banking Group, NG Bailey, Nomura

Drew Williams, EY

Runner-up: Visa

Runner-up: Jaguar Land Rover

Winner:

Nomura

Finalists:

Melissa Calleja, Pret A Manger Natalie Maskell, EY Sam Smith, National Grid

Runner-up: Alice Belcher, Jaguar Land Rover

Winner: Melissa Calleja, Pret A Manger

Best Training

Best Level of Support

Level 4 or Above

Finalists:

Aecom, BDO, DHL, EY, Grant Thornton

Aecom, BDO, DHL, Fujitsu , Visa

Runner-up:

Aecom

Winner:

BDO

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Leaving School? What are your options? What can I do with my A-levels? University, university, university. That’s the only reason why you do A-levels, right? Well, it’s a fantastic option, but A-levels aren’t just a one-way ticket to university. It’s high time that we start acknowledging ALL the options A-levels open up. So kick back and relax as we take you through a whirlwind tour of what you can do with your A-levels.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Sponsored Degree

School Leaver Programme

If you want to go to university but are daunted by the cost, sponsored degree programmes might be just the ticket. Sponsored degrees come in all shapes and sizes. For example, there are ones where you’ll attend university part-time whilst working for a company that pays your tuition fees.

If you want to leap straight into the world of work but still want to gain some serious qualifications, then a school leaver programme might be the thing for you. These schemes usually involve studying for a degree or professional qualification, whilst working for a company. As an employee, you’ll get a wage and they’ll cover your training costs. That means you can earn while you learn and avoid student debt.

Other sponsored degrees allow school leavers to study a course full-time at university, which has been devised by a consortium of employers or a single company in conjunction with the host institution. On the plus side, sponsored degrees can offer you some much needed financial assistance to help fund your way through university. Particularly for those with work experience as part of the programme, they can help you build up a relationship with an employer and enhance your employment prospects after university. Seems like a no brainer then? Well, sponsored degrees aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. They suffer from a lack of choice, only being available at a small number of universities and covering a limited range of degree courses and career paths.

University It’s the traditional route and still a very good one. Degrees are not to be sniffed at and can be the ticket to some great career options. If you’re set on going to university, you’ll need to do plenty of research into the degree courses and universities on offer, finding one that tallies with your interests and career plans. Tuition fees might seem like a lot, but there is plenty of financial support out there in the form of loans, bursaries and grants that you can take advantage of. The long university holidays can be used to build up work experience, or you can opt for a sandwich degree course that involves a year spent working in industry. Degrees are great if you want to keep your career options open, access certain careers that are only open to graduates, or if you simply want to study a subject that you are passionate about. On average, graduates tend to get higher starting salaries and earn more over their lifetime. However, university isn’t for everyone. Some people want to get stuck straight into work or are put off by the cost of university. There are other options where you can work for a company, whilst gaining a degree.

Gap Year You don’t have to dive straight into university or permanent employment. If you’re a bit bewildered about your options, or just fancy some breathing space, a gap year might be right for you. It’s not just a year to kick back and do nothing, though; you won’t really impress many people doing that. Most people work for a bit and then go travelling. Many large companies have gap year programmes for those wishing to get in a solid year of work experience. Alternatively, you might want to volunteer in the UK or abroad, or use your time off to get plenty of work experience. This may even help you figure out which careers might interest you. The key thing, if you do decide to do a gap year, is to make sure you do something worthwhile. Some universities and employers won’t look favourably on gap years where you’ve just spent your entire time in the clubs of South America. Try and make sure you’ve included some more valuable experiences in your gap year, as well as partying.

School leaver programmes are designed to offer a genuine alternative to university. Entry onto a scheme can be very competitive. The big finance and accountancy firms dominate the school leaver programme market at the moment, but other opportunities can be found in industries like engineering, IT, retail, digital media and hospitality.

Higher Apprenticeship There is something else you can do with those A-levels, and that’s a Higher Apprenticeship. These are the crème de la crème of apprenticeships. Higher Apprenticeships bear many similarities to school leaver programmes (in fact, many school leaver programmes include a Higher Apprenticeship as part of their training programme) but tend to be shorter. You can also get qualifications like foundation degrees, Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) and undergraduate degrees as part of a Higher Apprenticeship. Apprentices can usually top up their qualifications after the apprenticeship too. Of course, some people bypass all of these options and plunge straight into employment. It’s up to you to have a good think, do some research and work out the best option for you. Don’t just think about the short term. Try and imagine where you want to be in five or ten years, and figure out the best way to get there. Deciding what to do after A-levels is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, so choose wisely!

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

What can I do with my GCSEs? Deciding what to do after your GCSEs can be a huge dilemma. You might think that A-levels are your only choice, or that your poor GCSE results mean you can’t continue with further education. If there’s one thing we want to hammer home it’s that there are plenty of options out there and, regardless of what you get in your GCSEs, you can still continue to learn and gain qualifications.

Academic Qualifications One of the most obvious routes after GCSEs is to do A-levels. They are the most traditional route to university and take two years to complete. Some colleges and schools don’t offer A-levels, instead choosing to put their students through their paces with the International Baccalaureate or the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma, which are often regarded as being more “academically challenging”. A-levels can be hard work, so if your GCSE grades aren’t up to scratch, it might be worth looking at other less traditional qualifications that are more suited to your learning style. Most colleges or sixth forms require A-level students to have a minimum of five GCSEs grade A*-C and at least a B in the subject they wish to continue studying at A-level; although there are exceptions to this rule.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Retake your GCSEs

Vocational Qualifications If you don’t get the grades to continue on to A-levels or fancy doing something a little more vocational, then there are plenty of other qualifications you can look into. NVQs and BTECs are all work-related qualifications that offer an alternative to A-levels. BTECs have been around for a while. BTEC Nationals are a Level 3 qualification recommended for those who have achieved at least four A*-C grades in their GCSEs. They are a great option if you want to study something that focuses on workplace skills. They’re also ideal if you prefer to be assessed through coursework rather than exams. If BTECs don’t quite float your boat and you want to learn how to do practical, workrelated tasks, then a NVQ might be the answer. NVQ stands for National Vocational Qualification and it’s a competence-based qualification. You might do one as part of an apprenticeship, alongside a part-time job or at college in tandem with completing a work placement. You can do NVQs in areas such as health and social care, manufacturing, catering and business administration.

Advanced Apprenticeship

If you didn’t get good grades in English and maths at GCSE (i.e. below a grade C), you might want to think about retaking them. It might feel like you are going backwards, but for many jobs and qualifications these GCSEs are particularly important. In any case, some vocational qualifications and apprenticeships will require you to either retake these GCSEs or reach a certain level of literacy and numeracy as part of the course.

Advanced Apprenticeships are great if you want to start working after your GCSEs and gain some work-related qualifications. You work for an employer and earn a salary whilst receiving on-the-job and offthe-job training.

Even if you decide to go straight into work, you can gain qualifications alongside fulltime employment. Qualifications might just seem like bits of paper, but they can really help you get where you want to be. So keep an open mind and make sure you look into all of the different options.

Advanced Apprenticeships usually last between one and four years. After the apprenticeship ends many employers offer their apprentices a full-time job with the company, or you can look to gain employment with another company or progress to a Higher Apprenticeship. In most cases, you’ll need at least five GCSEs (grades A* to C) to be eligible for an Advanced Apprenticeship. If you don’t have those grades, you can look into doing an Intermediate Apprenticeship.

Intermediate Apprenticeship Intermediate Apprenticeships are the lowest and most popular level of apprenticeships in the UK. These apprenticeships are another great option if you want to start working straight after finishing your GCSEs. You’ll combine on-the-job training with classroom-based learning and will be paid a wage for the work you do with your employer; all of which will lead to a nationally-recognised workrelated qualification. Employers will typically ask for two or more GCSE grades (A*-C) or equivalent. If you don’t have GCSEs in English and maths, though, you’ll usually be required to take a basic numeracy and literacy test.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

What is a...? What is an Apprenticeship? If you think being an apprentice will involve living in a house with a bunch of arrogant, expensive-suit-wearing entrepreneurs

What skills & qualifications do I need?

before being fired by Alan Sugar, you might want to think again. An apprenticeship is a paid period of training that allows you to learn a particular skill or set of skills. Usually lasting between one and four years, it’s a great way to learn while you earn and pick up some valuable workplace skills.

What are my options? Apprenticeships aren’t just for those interested in construction or engineering, they can be undertaken in a huge number of different sectors and industries, from agriculture, law and accountancy to education, retail and design. Apprentices can find themselves working for a whole range of employers, from the big household names to smaller local companies. In the case of apprenticeships, one size certainly doesn’t fit all. Not only do all manner of training providers and companies offer them, but there are also three different levels: Intermediate Apprenticeships, Advanced Apprenticeships and Higher Apprenticeships.

The usual method of entry is through a standard application and offer process, i.e. candidates apply for a specific position and successful candidates are offered an apprenticeship. In exchange for working as an employee on an apprentice’s wage, you will be trained to learn a new skill. The beauty of an apprenticeship is that nobody expects you to be a genius at everything. They are there to help you develop your skills and knowledge. However, there is a basic standard of literary and numeracy that is required. If you don’t have GCSEs then you will need to take a literacy and numeracy test. If that’s going to be a problem, the National Apprenticeship Service runs an Access to Apprenticeships scheme for those who need to brush up on their skills before applying for apprenticeships. Entry requirements will vary from apprenticeship to apprenticeship. Some will need you to have a handful of GCSEs or equivalent qualifications, whilst the very top apprenticeships might ask for A-levels (or equivalent).

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

What is a Higher Apprenticeship? Higher Apprenticeships are the newest kids on the block. Launched How much will I get paid? As an apprentice you’re guaranteed at least £2.73 per hour, though it’s not uncommon to be earning in the region of £150 to £260 per week. That means you can expect a salary range of between £4,940 and £14,000, and sometimes more. The amount you get paid will depend on the level of skill you possess and the industry you choose for your apprenticeship. Over time your skill set will improve and so will your wages. Once you’ve completed your apprenticeship, hopefully you’ll have the skills and qualifications to enter better paid roles.

What level of commitment will I need to have? All in all, an apprenticeship is kind of like doing one to four years’ worth of practical lessons, where you will also get paid. However, if you muck about, you will lose your job and your chance to progress. You will have to work hard to succeed, but once you have completed your apprenticeship you will be equipped with a great new skill-set, a clear path for progression and fantastic career prospects.

in 2009, this level of apprenticeship might be baby-faced, but it certainly packs a punch. The clue is in the name: it’s the only type of apprenticeship that leads to a Level 4 or above qualification, which is the equivalent of a higher education qualification. a master’s degree, or a relevant professional qualification.

So what is it then? A Higher Apprenticeship functions pretty much like a normal apprenticeship in the sense that it will provide you with a mix of on and offthe-job training. However, these apprenticeships are designed to equip you with more advanced skills and qualifications. In some cases, they offer another route to gaining a university qualification. It’s a really unique chance to earn while you learn.

What are the entry requirements? It’s a serious apprenticeship and, as a result, those doing this level of apprenticeship are usually aged 18 or over. Entry requirements will vary, but usually people who have already done an Advanced Apprenticeship or who have a minimum of two A-levels will be eligible for a Higher Apprenticeship. If you don’t have those, employers might take into account previous work experience or other criteria instead.

Because it’s the crème de la crème of apprenticeships, there are fewer Higher Apprenticeships. However, more and more companies and organisations are offering them, particularly as students start to get put off by the high cost of university.

Will I get paid? Of course you will. If you’re under 19, you’re entitled to the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices, which is currently £2.73 an hour. Once you are over 19, you’re entitled to the full National Minimum Wage, which is currently £5.13 an hour. However, many employers will pay Higher Apprentices more than the National Minimum Wage. As Higher Apprenticeships are a step above Advanced and Intermediate Apprenticeships, you’re likely get paid a little bit more than other apprentices.

What qualifications will I get? The high entry requirements reflect the nature of the qualifications you’ll gain with this apprenticeship. Qualifications that apprentices might work towards as part of a Higher Apprenticeship include a Level 4 (or above) Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in some cases, a knowledgebased qualification, such as a foundation degree, HND, or undergraduate degree. In the near future, some Higher Apprenticeships will offer apprentices the chance to gain a master’s degree. You might then be able to top up your university qualification to a full undergraduate degree or pursue

What qualifications will I gain? Advanced Apprenticeships give you the opportunity to earn while you learn. They involve work-based learning, such as a Level 3 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledgebased qualification.

What is an Advanced Apprenticeship? An Advanced Apprenticeship is a step above Intermediate Apprenticeships. It’s a chance to access great training, develop skills and gain qualifications whilst working for an employer. Advanced Apprenticeships generally last between one year and four years, although they can be longer. A huge variety of employers offer Advanced Apprenticeships. Companies might run their apprenticeship in partnership with a training provider (like a further education college), meaning you’ll split your time between working at the company and attending college, or they’ll run it independently and have their own in-house training sessions.

What are my options? Generally, to be eligible to do an Advanced Apprenticeship you must have either completed an Intermediate Apprenticeship or have a certain number of GCSEs (or equivalent) although this isn’t always the case. If you need to improve your skills, such as literacy and numeracy, there’s an Access to Apprenticeships scheme run by the National Apprenticeship Service that will help you out. Most employers offering Advanced Apprenticeships, however, will be looking for candidates with at least five GCSEs grades A*-C.

To put it simply, completing an Advanced Apprenticeship is the equivalent of gaining two A-level passes. You’ll also gain relevant technical certificates or qualifications (depending on your type of apprenticeship). Once you’ve completed an Advanced Apprenticeship, you’ll be eligible to do a Higher Apprenticeship.

Will I get paid? This is one of the best bits: you’ll get paid during your apprenticeship. Ok, so you won’t be rolling around in £50 notes, but apprentices, on average, earn between £150 and £190 a week. Most employers tend to pay more than the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices (£2.73 an hour) and, after the first year of the apprenticeship, people who are aged 19 and over must get paid the full National Minimum Wage for their age group. The reality is: the more experience you get, the higher your pay will be. As your apprenticeship training progresses, so will your pay.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

What qualifications will I gain?

What is an Intermediate Apprenticeship? Intermediate Apprenticeships are the first level of apprenticeships. They are designed to equip you with the skills to thrive in the world of employment. On an Intermediate Apprenticeship, you’ll spend most of the time working for an employer and learning on-the-job, but you’ll also spend some time at a training institution or local college. During the apprenticeship, you’ll study towards vocational qualifications which are relevant to your job. You can do Intermediate Apprenticeships in all sorts of areas and industries with all types of companies. From an Intermediate Apprenticeship, you might go on to do an Advanced Apprenticeship or secure a related job.

What qualifications will I need? Employers might ask for two or more GCSEs (grades A*-C), or equivalent. For some Intermediate Apprenticeships, however, you might not need any formal qualifications. If you don’t have GCSEs in English and maths, though, you’ll usually be required to take a basic numeracy and literacy test. As part of the Intermediate Apprenticeship, you’ll then either take a GSCE qualification in English or a Functional or Key Skills qualification at either Level 1 or Level 2. If you don’t quite meet the entry requirements, the National Apprenticeship Service runs an Access to Apprenticeships pathway.

One of the best things about an Intermediate Apprenticeship is that you’ll have a bunch of qualifications by the end of it if you work hard. These will include a Level 2 Competence qualification, a Functional Skills qualification and a relevant knowledgebased qualification. The Level 2 qualification will usually be an NVQ at Level 2, which is equivalent to five GCSEs (grades A*-C.) You might also work towards a BTEC, GCSE, or City & Guilds qualification. Once you’ve completed an Intermediate Apprenticeship, you’ll be eligible to move onto an Advanced Apprenticeship.

Will I get paid? Yes. It might not be a professional footballer’s wage, but all apprentices, by law, are required to be paid. The National Minimum Wage for Apprentices is £2.73 an hour, but many employers pay their apprentices more than that.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

What is a School Leaver Programme? School leaver programmes aren’t as easy to define as apprenticeships and will vary from company to company and industry to industry. Some employers have retitled their Higher Apprenticeships as ‘School Leaver Programmes’; others have veered away from the whole apprenticeship structure completely. We’ve put our heads together to pin down exactly what a school leaver programme is and give you a little bit more information about what to expect.

Give me the lowdown School leaver programmes are having a bit of a moment. Since university fees have gone up, more and more companies are offering school leaver programmes for A-level (or equivalent) students who don’t fancy shelling out for university. They tend to be offered by large companies in industries like accountancy, finance, engineering, retail, IT and hospitality. Employers offer training programmes that give A-level students or career changers the chance to work towards a university degree and/or professional qualification. Most companies will sponsor or part-sponsor your education and, in return, you might work full-time or part-time for them. That’s one of the best bits of school leaver programmes: you receive education and training whilst working for a company and earning a decent wage.

professional qualification. A few will combine them both, offering their trainees the chance to obtain a degree and a postgraduate professional qualification. It’s your choice: you can opt for a school leaver programme where you’ll get a degree as part of the scheme, or bypass university altogether and aim for a professional qualification.

How long do school leaver programmes last? School leaver programmes tend to be lengthier than the average apprenticeship. Most school leaver programmes can last anywhere between three and seven years. It might seem like a long haul, but that’s the time you’ll need to gain some serious qualifications. The years are usually broken down into stages. For example, students might spend one year at university, before working full-time for the company for the next two years, or they might work at the company and study for a degree or professional qualification on a part-time or distance learning basis.

What qualifications will I gain? As school leaver programmes aim to provide a genuine alternative for students who would have otherwise gone to university, employers put plenty of emphasis on the kind of qualifications you might gain whilst on the programme. Some programmes are centred on attaining a bachelor’s degree or foundation degree, while others might focus on the achievement of a

Am I eligible for a school leaver programme?

already. However, since they are positioned as the more ‘elite’ school leaver option, opportunities can be tough to come by and competition can be fierce. Most companies will usually specify a minimum number of UCAS points or a minimum number of A-levels in their entry requirements. This could be anything from requiring two A-level passes to asking for a whopping 320 UCAS points. Entry requirements will vary from company to company, but overall they will be looking for bright, young, ambitious candidates with an interest in their industry, who are keen to leap straight into the world of work.

What’s the difference between a school leaver programme and a sponsored degree programme? There’s plenty of crossover between the two, with some school leaver programmes more akin to sponsored degrees and some sponsored degree programmes more like school leaver programmes. Take a look at our ‘What is a Sponsored Degree?’ article to get the lowdown on the different types of sponsored degrees and how they compare to school leaver programmes.

You’ll need a PhD, a 5,000 metre swimming certificate and biceps made of steel. No, not really! The whole point of a school leaver programme is that they don’t expect you to be an expert in the industry

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

What is a Sponsored Degree?

Student sponsorship

Employers call their school leaver programmes all sorts, from training programmes and undergraduate apprenticeships to sponsored degree programmes. In this article, we’ll tackle the meaty subject of sponsored degree programmes. We’ve broadly divided them up into sponsored degree programmes, sponsored degrees and student sponsorship. They might not seem that different, but, boy, they are.

Sponsored degree programmes Sponsored degree programmes are school leaver schemes that focus on the fact that you’ll get a degree as part of the programme. As well as studying for a degree at university, students are often regarded as permanent employees of the company and receive a salary. The schemes are often devised with a particular university, meaning that the student will have little say in what university or course they do. However, more often than not, they’ll have their entire course fees paid for by the employer or at least receive a bursary or scholarship to go towards the cost of their university education. Students might attend university on a part-time or distance learning basis (e.g. one day a week) whilst working for the employer, or they might go to university full-time, spending their holidays working for the company. The employer might also offer students a guaranteed job on qualification or, subject to performance, a place on their graduate scheme. The balance of time you’ll spend at university and in the workplace will vary from scheme to scheme, so make sure you check.

Sponsored degrees Other universities will provide degrees that are sponsored and devised with a consortium of employers and/or professional associations. These are more common in industries like engineering and accountancy, usually for more vocational degrees. For the consortium sponsored degrees, students might be sponsored wholly or partially (e.g. £1,000 for each year) and might take an industrial placement or a summer placement with an employer in the consortium. Alternatively, a degree might be devised with and sponsored by a single employer (sometimes in tandem with a professional association). For these degrees, the employer involvement is likely to be more comprehensive. For example, students on a sponsored scheme might receive a bursary and have a yearlong placement and two summer placements with the employer. Depending on academic and placement performance, they might also get a spot on the graduate scheme or a job with the company upon graduation.

Still with us? There’s yet another type. Some companies will offer sponsorship either to a small number of students on a degree course in the form of a scholarship or they will sponsor a promising student irrespective of their degree course and university; although, of course, they might target students on particular courses. Students have also been known to approach companies before they attend university in the hope of some form of sponsorship. This is probably the most informal sponsorship programme of them all. The employer might cover a student’s fees for part of their university education or give a oneoff token amount to the student. In return, students might take up a summer placement with the company, work with them after university or they might actually have no particular obligations towards the company at all. Alternatively, some companies will sponsor students who stand out during their internships or placements with them, offering to cover their last year or two years at university and giving them a place on the graduate scheme or fast-tracking their application to the interview stage. So there you have it. There are many different types of sponsored degree opportunities. It’s up to you to work out the best option for you.

Students on these types of degree aren’t permanent employees and won’t earn a salary, apart from during their placement year or summer internship. However, it’s an excellent way of guaranteeing experience as part of your degree and helps you to fund your university education.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Compare &Consider

UNIVERSITY YELLOW CORNER…

WEIGHT

9000 POUNDS (£)

HEIGHT

1524 CENTIMETRES

A.K.A THE VETERAN *** THE FANS’ FAVOURITE *** THE TEENAGE DREAMIA FROM ACADEMIA

SCHOOL LEAVER PROGRAMME BLUE CORNER…

WEIGHT

POUNDS (£)

HEIGHT

8979 CENTIMETRES

A.K.A THE CHALLENGER *** THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK *** HE FLOATS LIKE A COMPANY ON THE STOCK MARKET AND STINGS LIKE A BEE

Let’s get ready to rumble! In each round of this epic battle, School Leaver Programmes will go head-to-head with University as we assess both options for school leavers against various important criteria. Hopefully, when the final bell rings, you will have a good idea about which is the best option for you. Ding ding… come out swinging!

ROUND

At the end of Round Two:

The Money Unless your parents are billionaires and you’ve got money to burn, you’re probably worried about how much university is going to cost. And rightly so! With the recent increase in tuition fees, and the money you’ll spend on food, clothes, travel, books, stationary and partying thrown into the mix, it is predicted that students starting university will now, on average, be £53,400 in debt upon graduation. That’s more than double the amount of debt that students who started in 2011 will have to deal with (£26,100).* Blimey!

This contest is really hotting up now! And it looks like University is starting to pull it back.

ROUND

If you do a school leaver programme, however, you will get a degree or professional qualification without having to pay any expensive tuition fees. Amazing!

The Career Ladder If you go to university, you will have a great time, develop a lot of skills and learn about an interesting subject; however, you will also delay your entry into the world of work by three, or maybe even four, years. If you join a school leaver programme, however, you will start your ascent of the career ladder much earlier. You will develop skills and learn about your industry, but you will simultaneously gain incredibly valuable on-the-job experience and establish yourself within the organisation much earlier.

Admittedly, not all companies will foot the bill for the entirety of your tuition fees, but you will at least get a sizeable chunk paid for as part of a scholarship. Your student debt will therefore be either non-existent or very small in comparison to that of the average university graduate.

By the end of your school leaver programme, you will most likely have the same level of education as the graduate trainees who join the firm, but you will have an advantage over them in terms of experience. This may be beneficial when it comes to progressing up the career ladder.

What’s more, the majority of companies that offer school leaver programmes pay their school leavers a pretty sweet salary. Some school leavers can earn over £22,000 a year!

At the end of Round Three: At the end of Round One: There are a few broken teeth and bloody noses out there now as School Leaver Programmes begin to step it up a notch.

As the contenders take a welcome break to drink some water and readjust their mouth guards, it looks like School Leaver Programmes have an early advantage.

ROUND ROUND

The Fun Factor Going to university isn’t just about getting a degree; it’s also about enjoying the whole university experience. University is about having fun, meeting new people, doing things you’ve never done before and taking advantage of your long university holidays to see the world and gain new experiences. If you’re thinking about doing a school leaver programme, it’s probably worth considering that, as a university student, you will probably only have between 6 and 18 hours of lectures a week. If you join a school leaver programme where you’ll be working full-time, you might have fun, but you will work at least 7 hours a day, if not more. You’ll have a lot less time to socialise and you won’t have the same lengthy holidays. Even if you do a school leaver programme which involves going to university every day during term time, you will still be required to work at the company during the holidays. That means you can kiss goodbye to that InterRailing trip around Eastern Europe you had planned for the summer after your first year of university!

The Options You may have heard the phrase “the agony of choice” before, but most of the time it’s much better to have a range of options to choose from. If you decide to apply to university, you will have the luxury of choosing from hundreds of universities and thousands of courses. School leaver programmes, however, are fairly restrictive when it comes to choosing courses and universities. Indeed, most school leaver programmes only allow trainees a choice of two or three universities. Furthermore, you will be required to study a vocational degree which is relevant to your school leaver programme. If you fancy studying art history, for instance, you won’t get the chance to do so as part of a school leaver programme. What’s more, since school leaver programmes are fairly new, these schemes are only available in a small number of sectors at the moment, such as accounting, finance, retail, engineering and construction. The number of school leaver programmes in the UK is therefore quite low and, as a result, competition for places can be fierce.

At the end of Round Four: Where did this come from? University has got a second wind and has mounted an epic comeback.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

ROUND

The Professional Qualifications Although school leaver programmes may not give you the same level of choice when it comes to picking a course, the majority of them give young people the opportunity to obtain highly respected professional qualifications (sometimes in addition to university degrees). This allows faster career progression and really enhances the earning potential of school leavers.

At the end of Round Five: School Leaver Programmes are ducking and diving. They’ve raised their game and have really got University on the ropes now.

ROUND

The Commitment If you plan to join a school leaver programme, it’s important to remember that you will be committing to your employer for quite a long time, sometimes even five or six years. That’s quite a big leap for someone who is fresh out of school or college. What’s more, once the company has invested their time and money in your education and development, you might feel a sense of obligation to stay in the industry and stick with the same employer. This option may give you job security, but it may not give you the same amount of freedom. If you go to university, however, you will have much more flexibility. You can change your mind, try things out and explore different options. You can even change your degree partway through if you’re not enjoying it and fancy something else. Once you graduate you have no ties; you can go travelling, you can do a bunch of internships with different companies, and you can really think about your options before committing to a particular career path or employer.

APPRENTICESHIP

UNIVERSITY

At the end of Round Six: It’s a dead heat. The judges are divided. There is nothing between these two valiant contenders. It’s really up to you to decide what is most important to you and your future! * www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14488312

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

University is great. It can open up a world of possibilities, allow you to explore a subject you’re passionate about and give you access to a whole range of careers. Apprenticeships, however, give you the chance to head straight into work, whilst picking up qualifications and receiving a wage. It’s not that one is better than the other; you just need to figure out which route is the most suited to you. That’s why we’d hesitate to make grand sweeping claims about how apprenticeships are better than university or vice versa.

paths and industries are covered. Just as university isn’t for everyone, apprenticeships aren’t for everyone. If you don’t have a clear idea of what career you want to enter, studying a traditional subject at university can help you keep your career options open whilst gaining a qualification. Furthermore, if the apprenticeship does involve a higher education qualification, you probably won’t get much choice when it comes to choosing a university or course. Also, there’s the issue of missing out on the full university experience. Everyone always mentions the social side of university, but you’ll also miss out on the experience of devoting yourself to full-time academic study for three years. University can be an unrivalled experience, so it’s not something to dismiss lightly.

What we can do is help you weigh up your choices. What’s the hurry?

So how do you choose between the two? Ok, so let’s do a little myth-busting and sweep those cobwebs of misconception away. First of all, choosing the apprenticeship route doesn’t mean that you are turning your back on a university education. Apprentices can still go to university and study for higher qualifications. A Higher Apprenticeship, for instance, allows you to gain a Level 4 or above qualification, e.g. a foundation degree, HND, HNC or undergraduate degree. After the apprenticeship, things like foundation degrees, HND and HNCs can be topped up to a full honours bachelor’s degree. Neither are apprenticeships solely for those who “don’t have the grades” to go to university. There are some challenging apprenticeship schemes out there, with tough application processes and fierce competition for places. They can provide a genuine alternative to university for those who want to go straight into work. Even if you get top grades, you shouldn’t feel like you “ought” to go to university; many companies are looking to recruit bright school leavers eager to head straight into the world of work.

Think about your career aspirations… In all likelihood, your choice will be dictated by your career aspirations. There are still certain careers that you can only really access via a degree. For example, there is no apprenticeship scheme for doctors. If you want to become a doctor, you’ll have to do a medicine course at university. However, in other occupations, you’ll

get the same chances as graduates by completing an Advanced or Higher Apprenticeship scheme. For example, BDO runs a school leaver programme where the first two years are a Higher Apprenticeship, and after that the trainees study for the ACA. It takes five years in total to reach Chartered Accountant status, whilst it might take a graduate six years.

Money matters… Money will be another huge point to consider. The boon of an apprenticeship is that the cost of your training is covered by the employer and you are paid whilst you are learning. The much publicised downside to university is the cost: the tuition fees can be hefty and you also have to factor in living costs. There is plenty of financial support in the form of loans, grants and bursaries from the government to help you cover the cost of university, so everybody, no matter what your financial circumstances, should be able to afford university. However, the fact that you’ll be earning a wage whilst receiving training and earning qualifications as an apprentice is a huge advantage.

If you’re doing A-levels, there’s nothing stopping you applying to universities and apprenticeship schemes simultaneously. This means you don’t have to narrow down your options straight away; it will give you a bit of breathing space so you can make your decision. Through the application process, you’ll be able to find out more about the different universities and companies, and get a better sense of what the university course or apprenticeship will involve. This will help you decide which route you want to pursue. Remember, it’s your choice, so don’t feel pressured to go down a particular route because that what’s everyone is telling you to do. Take the time to do your research, talk to people who’ve done an apprenticeship and those who have been to university, and consider your own personal motivations.

The disadvantages of apprenticeships… Of course, you’ll also need to weigh up the disadvantages of doing an apprenticeship over going to university. There might be many types of apprenticeship, but not all career

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Both apprenticeships and school leaver programmes have similar aims: to equip you with the qualifications and training to thrive in your chosen profession. There’s plenty of crossover between the two, with some school leaver programmes even incorporating an apprenticeship into their programme. Some school leaver programmes are pretty much identical to certain apprenticeships and vice versa, but for the sake of this article, we’re going to speak in more general terms. You should

APPRENTICESHIP

be aware that there are always exceptions, quite simply because there’s a huge range of apprenticeships and school leaver programmes out there. Generally speaking, school leaver programmes are traditionally offered by larger companies. They are often positioned as a genuine alternative to university, a kind of high school graduate scheme. They tend to be longer than most apprenticeships and

SCHOOL LEAVER PROGRAMME

trainees on these schemes often aim for high level qualifications, such as honours degrees and graduate-level professional qualifications. Of all the different levels of apprenticeships, the Higher Apprenticeship is most similar to school leaver programmes, offering a higher level of training.

Like school leaver programmes, apprenticeships offer more vocational, hands-on training, i.e. you learn by doing the job. Accredited apprenticeships follow a national framework that sets out the structure of the training and the qualifications earned. Let’s take a closer look at the similarities and differences between school leaver programmes and apprenticeships…

Training Apprenticeships and school leaver programmes are similar in that they both involve working for a company whilst gaining a qualification. They both combine on-the-job and off-the-job training, but the nature of the training might vary between the two. For example, in an apprenticeship you might spend one day at college and four days working for the company, or be sent to a training centre on block release. For some school leaver programmes, you might attend university for a year, before returning to work full-time for the company and finishing your qualification through distance learning. There tends to be more variation in the structure of school leaver programmes than apprenticeships, as they don’t follow a national framework. Consequently, you’ll have to make sure you check out what each school leaver programme will entail. You might find the training offered by certain apprenticeships better suits your needs than school leaver programmes, or vice versa.

Qualifications You should also think about what sort of qualification you are aiming for. School leaver programmes tend

to offer higher level qualifications, such as degrees and professional qualifications. Intermediate Apprenticeships are the equivalent of five GCSEs (grades A*-C) and Advanced Apprenticeships are the equivalent of two A-level passes. Higher Apprenticeships are closer to school leaver programmes and many include the completion of a higher qualification, such as a degree, foundation degree or HND as part of the apprenticeship. There are also plans afoot to introduce Higher Apprenticeship frameworks that go right up to Level 7. You might, however, find the qualifications offered by an Advanced Apprenticeship tally better with your career aims than those offered by a school leaver programme. You should check out the kind of qualifications offered by particular apprenticeships and school leaver programmes, looking at how well they are respected in the industry and how they can aid your career progression. That might sound a bit serious and heavy, but qualifications really do matter. You want to make sure that you choose the scheme that offers you the right sort of qualification.

Entry requirements Entry requirements can differ between school leaver programmes and

apprenticeships. School leaver programmes can have quite demanding entry requirements, such as a certain number of UCAS points or high A-level grades. For apprenticeships, entry requirements do vary more, with Intermediate Apprenticeship schemes only asking for a handful of GCSEs. Most Advanced Apprenticeships look for candidates with five GCSEs (grades A*-C) and Higher Apprenticeships usually requiring a minimum of two A-levels. Many apprenticeship employers also take other criteria or qualifications into account, such as relevant work experience. So if you want to leave school after GCSEs, apprenticeships will be your best option.

Variety… Apprenticeships are more commonplace than school leaver programmes and they can be found in a more diverse range of industries, from horticulture, law and aviation to hairdressing, business administration and youth work. Lack of variety is where school leaver programmes suffer. At the moment, school leaver programmes tend to be found at the large companies in industries such as banking and finance, retail and hospitality. It’s great if you want to work for a big company in those kinds of areas, but not so great if you’re interested in a different kind of career.

Salary… It might be a bit un-British to mention money, but there can be a difference in the levels of pay commanded by apprentices and people on school leaver programmes. Apprentices are subject to the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices, which currently stands at £2.73 an hour. Before you shake your head in disgust, many employers choose to pay far more than that.

The National Minimum Wage for Apprentices is for under 18-year-olds on an apprenticeship and those aged 19 and above in their first year of their apprenticeship. After that, you’ll be entitled to the full National Minimum Wage for your age group. In contrast, if you aren’t on an apprenticeship programme and haven’t signed a ‘contract of apprenticeship’, you’ll be entitled to the National Minimum Wage for your age group. In addition, as school leaver programmes have high entry requirements and tend to be offered by the big companies, they can offer trainees pretty sizeable salaries. For example, the National Audit Office starts their lucky trainees on around £22,000 a year. Otherwise, school leavers might receive between £10,000 and £15,000 a year. They might, however, have their university tuition fees covered by the company. This is not to say that all apprentices aren’t paid well. For example, salary levels for the National Grid’s Advanced Apprenticeship Programme starts at £14,950 a year, rising to £23,715 a year when you complete the apprenticeship. Not bad, eh? In truth, it’s not the case that one is better than the other. Take a look at the kind of opportunities there are in the career you’re interested in and work out which one is best for you. You might find school leaver programmes offer you the best career opportunities or that apprenticeships offer the kind of qualifications and training you want. It’s your choice!

The Pros & Cons of a Sponsored Degree Going to university the traditional way isn’t your only option. With the recent rise in university tuition fees, a new breed of sponsored degree programmes are springing up. These offer a fantastic mix of subsidised university education and the chance to gain some heavy duty work experience with an industry leader. But are

Here we consider the pros and cons of sponsored degrees: PROS

CONS

If you’re interested in the degree subject, the employer behind the programme and the careers related to the degree, then a sponsored degree programme can be an excellent way of kickstarting your career whilst gaining a university degree.

they the best option for you?

2 Sponsored degree programmes help keep down university costs. Students on sponsored degrees might receive bursaries or scholarships to help fund their studies. Some lucky people will have all of their tuition fees paid for, meaning they can kiss hefty student debts goodbye. Better still, some students on sponsored degrees are permanent employees of the company and will earn an annual salary. Jealous much?

Limited choice. Sponsored degree programmes are only available for a small number of degree subjects and are only offered by a small number of employers. You’ll need to have a genuine interest in the degree, the company and the industry behind the degree. After all, it’s unlikely that you’ll be studying a ‘traditional’ subject, like maths, English or medicine. What’s more, most sponsored degrees can only be done at specific universities, so you’ll have a narrow choice of universities to pick from.

2 You might not get the full ‘university experience’, both from a socialising and studying perspective. Some programmes require their trainees to only attend university on a part-time or distance learning basis.

3 Access to some top drawer work experience. Those on sponsored degrees might get the chance to work for the company during the university holidays, do an industrial placement, or work full-time and study for the degree part-time. That means they can get some serious work experience in the bag.

3 Depending on the programme, you might have to enter into a contract with an employer. They might stump up the cash for your tuition costs, but, in return, you will be expected to spend your university holidays working for the company. Some degrees also come with the condition that the students spend three years after university working for the employer. Some might see this as a perk; others might value more flexibility and freedom.

Sponsored degree programmes attached to a single employer might offer a guaranteed job on graduation, or a place in a graduate scheme subject to performance. Adieu, graduate unemployment!

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

The Pros & Cons of a School Leaver Programme Found in sectors like finance, accountancy and engineering, school leaver programmes are designed to offer A-level students a genuine alternative to university. But is a school leaver programme the right thing for you?

Let’s have a look at the major advantages and the disadvantages of doing a school leaver programme.

PROS

1 Leap straight into the world of work. Instead of delaying it for three years whilst you get a degree, a school leaver programme combines work with education and professional training.

2 Avoid student debts. As part of the school leaver programme, your education and training will be subsidised by the employer. You can wave goodbye to student debt. Even better, you’ll receive a salary. Sure, it might not be a huge amount, but you’ll likely earn more than those on Advanced Apprenticeship programmes. For school leaver programmes with large employers, school leavers have been known to earn over £22,000 a year. Boom!

3 Most school leaver programmes are designed to be a genuine alternative to university. Some of the most competitive programmes have entry standards to rival most Russell Group universities, testament to the nature of the experience. Equally, there are school leaver programmes that only require two A-level passes and are more interested in students with a desire to leap headfirst into work and pick up vocational skills. School leaver programmes welcome students from all backgrounds; part of their purpose is to offer an alternative for those who feel they can’t afford university.

4 You don’t necessarily have to sacrifice education and qualifications. Most programmes involve participants studying for a degree or a professional qualification. For example, some of the accountancy school leaver programmes give their trainees the chance to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. For some, you won’t have to forego a university education, as many programmes have a degree built into them. Others have a mix of the two, where you can gain a degree and study for professional qualifications.

CONS

1 If you want to achieve an undergraduate degree, it might be a more indirect route. Your choice of degree and university will also be limited. For example, degrees that are part of school leaver programmes will be directly related to the career path and will most likely be vocational. You won’t find many traditional degrees as part of a school leaver programme.

Even if obtaining a degree is part of the school leaver programme, you might have to forego the university experience. Some programmes will only involve one year full-time at university, or you’ll have to study for your degree part-time or through distance learning. So if you’re hankering after the full-on student experience, a school leaver programme won’t be your best option.

2 At the moment, school leaver programmes are only limited to a select few industries. Most school leaver programmes can be found in the engineering and finance industries, as well as manufacturing, retail, hospitality, media and construction, amongst others. Whilst they might present an excellent option if you want to pursue a career in those sectors, they might not be suitable for other careers. Certain jobs will still only be open to graduates.

There are currently only a small number of school leaver programmes. Consequently, competition for places, particularly for the ones with the big employers, can be intense. There might be more places on their schemes for university graduates.

In short, school leaver programmes aren’t for everyone. They are a fantastic option for those who don’t fancy university and want to start their career straight after their A-levels. However, they do come with limitations and you might find that university provides you with a better option.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Explore Industries Advertising, Marketing & PR Art & Design The phrase ‘advertising, marketing and PR’

When you imagine an artist or designer at

often conjures up images of hip, young

work, you might be picturing somebody

people sitting around in stylish offices,

indulging in their hobby and not actually

stroking their beards, drinking coffee and

doing any ‘work’. The artist is sitting on

‘bouncing’ creative ideas around the office.

a mountainside painting, or catapulting

Alternatively, the popular image of PR

multi-coloured paint at a huge canvas. The

executives involves going to fancy business

designer is swinging from side-to-side on

lunches, attending press conferences and

their office chair and playing around on

appearing on celebrity gossip TV shows.

Photoshop, cropping images and deciding

Careers in advertising, marketing and PR

which colour to use for the background of

are genuinely fast-paced and exciting, but

a website.

the stereotypes and misconceptions are by no means always accurate! The general objective of each different area of this industry is to develop and enhance public interest in a brand, organisation, person or product. Everywhere we go, we interact with advertising initiatives, marketing strategies and PR campaigns; when we read an advert on the train, when we decide to buy a laptop, or when we discuss celebrities with our friends.

Sure, working in art and design might seem like a wonderfully idyllic and relaxed career choice, but it may shock you to know that these career paths are actually a lot of hard work. Careers in art and design are all about creating things which are appealing to the eye. Art is traditionally created purely for its aesthetic appeal, whilst design tends to revolve around a product. You might even say that design is art with a function. The two different areas may seem worlds apart in their purpose, but the people who work in art and design all tend to have an essential mix of practical skills, creative flair and a talent for using colour, space, shape and form.

The industry is not completely dependent on creativity. True, creativity is important but the industry would not be able to function without essential research, planning, and strategy. People who work in advertising, marketing and PR are usually highly organised, energetic and have excellent communication skills.

Working independently as a freelancer is common, but many artists and designers don’t actually work entirely on their own. When working as part of an art collective or for a design agency, it is essential to develop excellent communication and teamwork skills.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

Starting salary?

Positives?

£16,000 - £25,000

• Intellectual stimulation. • Opportunities for creativity. • Varied working day.

£10,500 - £22,000

• Freedom. • Opportunities for creativity.

£40,000 - £100,000+

Negatives?

£25,000 - £80,000+

Average working hours?

• Highly competitive. • Starting salary often low.

Average working hours?

Potential earnings?

9am - 6pm, plus possible extra evening/weekend hours.

Potential earnings?

Negatives? • Lack of job security. • Potentially low pay.

Mostly flexible. Some salaried designers may work from 9am to 5pm.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Banking, Finance & Accountancy

Charity, Not-for-Profit & NGO

The phrase ‘banking, finance and

You may have heard that the only way to do

accountancy’ often brings to mind the

charity work is to shake a bucket of coins

image of dynamic men and women pacing

outside a train station, or try to stop people

the floors of the London Stock Exchange,

in the street with a rain-soaked smile and

surveying the markets and waiting for the

a clipboard full of hope. Alternatively, you

right opportunity to pounce: “Buy, buy, buy,

may think that the only people who actually

sell, sell, sell!” You might think of men in

work permanently in this sector are Bob

bowler hats trudging across the Millennium

Geldof, Pudsey the Bear and Bono. Well,

Bridge at the crack of dawn. Alternatively,

don’t believe a word of it, because it’s just

you might be picturing an accountant stuck

not true. You can work permanently for a

away in a dark, cramped office, surrounded

charity, NGO, or not-for-profit organisation.

by receipts and punching endless numbers

You might even get paid an actual salary!

into a ridiculously large calculator. Well to be honest, that’s not entirely correct. It’s true, financial careers are all about money. The world revolves around money. We talk about it, we spend it, we earn it, we lose it and we touch it every day. The world would not be able to function without money. Consequently, some of the most important jobs in the world are in the banking, finance and accountancy sector. Each and every financial company deals with very large sums of money and quite often the money under their control does not necessarily belong to them. It belongs to an individual or another organisation. Effectively, everyone’s financial fates are in the hands of the different organisations we trust with our cash. Understandably, therefore, banking, finance, and accountancy firms have a lot of power, but in return they also have a whole lot of responsibility. Careers in this sector can be extremely exciting, rewarding and satisfying, but at the same time they can be incredibly stressful and highlypressurised. This is something that is often reflected in the high salaries that characterise the sector.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

£15,000 - £50,000

• Huge potential earnings. • Opportunities for working abroad. • Lots of responsibility.

Potential earnings? £40,000 - £225,000+

Average working hours? Often long and unsociable, especially in high pressure roles.

Negatives? • Highly competitive. • High pressure. • Long working hours.

Charitable organisations come in various shapes and sizes. They can lead you in a million and one different directions and put you in front of some of life’s greatest challenges. They can also be unrivalled in terms of job satisfaction. You can travel the world or stay put; work hands on or take on a role behind the scenes. What we’re really trying to say is that careers in this sector can be pretty versatile. They can be exciting and allow you to potentially change people’s lives, whilst still living your own. What more could you want? Virtually anything you can think of will be involved with a charity in one way or another. Depending on where your passion lies, you could turn your hand to a number of different sectors: working with animals, raising money for cancer or helping environmental charities. You could work with the elderly, people with disabilities, the homeless, at a hospice or within sport and arts charities. Depending on the role you choose, you’ll need excellent oral or written communication skills - sometimes even both! You’ll also need to be personable and be able to adapt to various different needs and disabilities.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

£10,500 - £24,000

• Challenging. • The opportunity to make a difference. • Opportunities for travel.

Potential earnings? £23,000 - £60,000+

Average working hours? 9am - 5pm if you’re office based. International and UK-based support work roles may have slightly more irregular hours.

Negatives? • Can be emotionally challenging. • Stressful. • Relatively low potential earnings.

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Culture, Music & Performing Arts

Energy & Utilities

Careers in the world of culture, music

people who work in the energy and utilities

and performing arts are all about fame,

industry are all like Homer Simpson, Lenny,

fortune and failure, right? Hmm, maybe

Carl and Mr Burns. You might think that to

not. You may think that working in the

work in this industry you will be required to

music industry is all about stage diving and

work at a huge power station in the middle

massive wonky bass lines. You may think

of nowhere, or on an oil rig in the North

that careers in performing arts are all about

Sea. You may also believe that you will be

red carpets and on-screen kisses. You may

risking life and limb every day, either in a

think that a career in ‘culture’ is all about

mine which may collapse, or inside a huge

sitting in silence in stuffy art galleries or

dam which may burst at any point in one

arranging dinosaur bones in a museum.

big watery explosion. However, it may shock

Sure, your career could take one of these

you to know that a career in this sector is

routes, but it’s pretty unlikely.

not all about eating donuts and putting

Every industry which might be considered ‘cultural’ (i.e. music, theatre, film, museums etc.) needs a dedicated range of professionals who work hard to help us stay entertained, excited and educated. Every time we clap our hands together at the end of a play, we are not only applauding the actors and actresses, but the entire team of theatre workers, from the director and the ushers to the set designers and the orchestra in the pit. Every time we listen to our new favourite band on our iPods, we are not only listening to the blood, sweat and tears of the band, but the work of the record label who discovered them and the producer who recorded the album. Every time we marvel at a dinosaur’s skeleton in the Natural History Museum, we are enjoying the work of everyone who added to our learning experience, from the archaeologist who dug it up to the museum’s curator and the person working in the gift shop who sells us a rubber shaped like a velociraptor.

If television has taught us anything, it’s that

yourself in danger. It’s all about oil, gas, coal, petroleum, solar power, wind farms and everything else which provides the UK with energy. It’s also all about managing our water, sewage systems and waste disposal. Without energy and utilities, the modern world would not be able to keep moving or stay switched on. All day, every day, we rely on the hard work of people in the energy and utilities sector - when we flush the toilet, when we put petrol in our cars, and when we open the fridge and that little light magically comes on. With increasing environmental concerns across the world, the energy and utilities sector is becoming one of the most innovative and adaptable sectors. There has been a rise in the development of renewable energy resources, such as solar panels, hydroelectric dams and biomass fuel. However, even the major oil and petroleum companies are beginning to develop fuels which are more environmentally friendly.

From a distance, careers in culture, music and performing arts can often seem like a one man show, where the performer is the be-all and endall. However, behind the scenes it is quite a different story. The culture, music and performing arts industry is rife with exciting opportunities both offstage, as well as in the spotlight - the possibilities are truly endless.

A huge range of different career paths are available within the energy and utilities sector, ranging from technical and engineering roles to managerial and sales positions. Every single role requires energetic people to help provide the UK with all the energy and water it needs.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

Starting salary?

Positives?

£14,000 - £20,000

• Opportunities for creativity. • Freedom.

£17,000 - £45,000

• High potential earnings and starting salary. • Challenging.

£20,000 - £500,000+

Negatives?

£30,000 - £120,000+

Negatives?

Average working hours?

• Highly competitive. • Lack of job security.

Average working hours?

• Working offshore in remote areas can be lonely and tiring.

Potential earnings?

Unsociable and irregular. 34

Potential earnings?

9am - 5pm, or shift-based.

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Environment, Agriculture & Conservation You may have heard that careers in the environment, agriculture and conservation

Engineering

sector are all about living the good life. You

You may have heard that engineering is

live a peaceful existence and work on your

a man’s world. Furthermore, you may have

own terms, eating your own crops, talking

heard that the world of engineering is full

to your animals and strolling through your

of men who have all the technical skills in

cornfields in the summer time. Alternatively,

the world, but no social skills to match. In

you may have heard that environmental,

many people’s minds, an engineering career

agriculture and conservation careers are

is a constant love affair between a man and

all about protesting, living in tree houses or

his machines.

repairing coral reefs with your bare hands.

Wait a second, though! Is it really all about nuts and bolts, spanners and screwdrivers? Definitely not. And do women actually work in engineering? Of course they do! Forget anything you’ve heard previously! Engineering is all about solving problems using specialist technical and practical skills. It’s all about maths, science, research, prototypes, design, maintenance and production. Every industry and every area of society depends on the precise and efficient work of engineers. These guys provide technological solutions to the problems, issues and ideas that affect every area of our lives. They design, manufacture and maintain almost everything people and industries use, from computers, spacecraft and boats to corkscrews, buildings and chemical reactors. Technological advances would never happen without engineers. Consequently, the people who work in this sector are massively important in developing the future of our society. There are so many different areas of engineering to work in; however, most engineers choose to specialise in just one, such as chemical, mechanical, automotive or robotics.

Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s all about sustaining, protecting and using our natural environment. The environment and agriculture have become especially hot topics in recent years. You’ve probably heard the phrases ‘global warming’ and ‘buy British’ more times than you can count. Growing environmental concerns and a desire to revive the British agricultural industry have sparked reaction from the government and the public. Consequently, an increasing amount of careers in these industries are becoming available. Environmental policies, initiatives and activities have a major influence on the quality of all our lives. The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat is all dependent on the important work of people in environmental careers. Understandably, careers in agriculture also have a huge impact on the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the flowers that decorate our homes, the pharmaceutical products we consume and even the fuels we are beginning to use. There are many different careers within this sector, ranging from practical roles, such as farmers, gamekeepers and tree surgeons, to roles focused on environmental policy, education and corporate social responsibility.

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Starting salary?

Positives?

£18,000 - £35,000

£30,000 - £90,000+

• High potential earnings and starting salary. • Satisfaction in solving practical and technical problems. • Challenging.

Average working hours?

Negatives?

Average working hours?

9am - 5pm. In some areas of engineering, the work can be shift-based, which may mean irregular hours.

• Stressful. • Pressure to meet deadlines.

Varied. Often dependent on seasonal changes.

Potential earnings?

Starting salary?

Positives?

£11,000 - £30,000

• Satisfaction in helping to sustain the planet. • Working outdoors. • Challenging combination of scientific and practical work.

Potential earnings? £20,000 - £70,000+

Negatives? • Working outside in all weathers. • Potentially low starting salary.

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Hospitality & Tourism Health & Social Care

You may have heard that a career in hospitality and tourism is like constantly

True or false? The only way to work in

being on holiday. You hang out in hotels,

health and social care is to be a nurse,

bars and restaurants all day, doing a bit of

doctor, dentist or social worker.

work here and there, or you jet off around the world and help other people have a

False.

good time whilst topping up your suntan.

Careers in health and social care are all about helping people. Careers in healthcare are all about helping people who are having problems with their physical health. Careers in social care are concerned with helping vulnerable people in the community and providing them with support so that they can benefit from a much more improved way of life. Everybody is dependent on the specialist skills of healthcare professionals at some point (even if it’s only when they are born). Not everybody becomes directly involved with social care initiatives. However, everyone is likely to encounter the many social issues that require the hard work of social care professionals. Careers in health and social care are some of the most important in the world. These employees not only help people on an individual basis, but make a difference to society as a whole. Understandably, the key word to consider when contemplating a career in this sector is ‘care’. People who work in this sector truly care about helping other people. Without that level of concern and desire to make a difference, it is impossible to be a superstar of the health and social care world. In order to thrive in these careers, you need to have the ability to build relationships with patients and service users. It is essential that people trust you and therefore patience, friendliness and fantastic communication skills are needed. These careers are some of the most rewarding you can pursue, but can also be the most challenging emotionally. You certainly need to be genuinely compassionate and caring, but you need to be thick-skinned too.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

£14,500 - £35,000

• Immense satisfaction in saving and improving people’s lives. • Senior level positions can pay very well. • Varied and unpredictable working day.

Potential earnings? £23,000 - £175,000+

Average working hours? Many roles in this sector have irregular, unsociable hours due to shift patterns.

Negatives? • Stressful and emotionally draining. • Long and irregular hours. • Some roles take years of training before qualification.

Alternatively, you may have heard that a job in hospitality and tourism is always a stopgap. It’s just something you do in the holidays to earn a bit of extra cash. Well, if that’s what you think, then we’re here to tell you that you’re wrong. It’s all about food, accommodation and drinks. It’s all about tourists, travelling, attractions and customer service. Basically, hospitality and tourism is all about helping people enjoy themselves when they’re out and about. We encounter the people who work in hospitality and tourism all the time: when we go out for a drink, when we grab a bite to eat, or when we go on a luxurious round-the-world trip, staying in five-star hotels and flying business class (just for the record: we never do this, but you get the point!). Our social lives and free time just wouldn’t be the same without the hardworking people who dedicate their careers to this sector. The main thing to know about careers in hospitality and tourism is that it’s never going to be your typical nine-to-five job. The people who work in this sector really take one for the team and work when other people are having fun. Jobs in hospitality and tourism are all about providing friendly, efficient and attentive customer service. Consequently, excellent communication skills, patience and a friendly nature are essential for you to thrive in these industries.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

£12,000 - £30,000

• Opportunity to meet different people. • Fast-paced working environments. • Opportunities for travel.

Potential earnings? £20,000 - £100,000+

Average working hours? Certainly NOT nine-tofive. Expect irregular and unsociable hours.

Negatives? • Low potential salaries. • Unsociable working hours. • Can be tiring and stressful.

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IT & Technology You may have heard that you have to be an absolute computer geek to work in the IT and technology sector. You’ve probably heard that your entire day will be spent typing out endless codes of technical gobbledygook or taking computers apart and blowing out the dust. You might have even heard that your working life will basically just include playing video games. Well, that’s not entirely true It’s all about computers, the internet, laptops, telephones and mobile phones. They call this the digital age and that’s for one good reason: computers rule the world (well, not literally). IT and technological products are absolutely everywhere. They’re in our homes, in our offices and in our pockets. Advances in computer and telecoms systems have improved opportunities for national and international communication, allowing businesses to start, grow and expand. The right IT solutions can revive a company, solve their problems and allow them to push on bigger, better and stronger. One of the most exciting things about IT careers is that they offer employees continuous opportunities for learning. As technologies advance, there are always more things to learn and new skills to acquire. IT jobs aren’t all about inputting the right data, using the right codes or putting the right bits of hardware in the right places. In fact, some IT employees have a certain amount of creativity in their jobs, especially software developers, web designers and information security consultants.

Law When you hear the word ‘law’, it may conjure up movie scenes of intense court room battles, white-haired men writing wills, or judges wearing ridiculous robes and tatty wigs. Actually, law is a fabulously varied sector that has a profound impact on every part of our lives. Besides solicitors, barristers and judges, there is a massive array of other lawyer and non-lawyer career paths you can explore within this sector, from legal journalists, legal secretaries, typists, human resources personnel, paralegals and legal executives to solicitor advocates, coroners, lecturers and court clerks. Getting into law is pretty tough. Law is an extremely popular career choice and for lots of good reasons: it’s stimulating, it can be fluid and constantly changing, it’s complex, and it can be lucrative. There’s a lot of scope for career progression. You could end up sitting in the Supreme Court, or you may progress from a novice paralegal position to become an associate solicitor. Careers in the legal sector are well-paid, well-respected and exciting. The rewards can be great, but the hours can be long and it requires many years of sustained effort to get where you want to be.

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Starting salary?

Positives?

£12,000 - £33,000

• Challenging and fast- moving. • Constant opportunities for learning and development. • Working at the cutting edge, influencing the future.

Potential earnings? £28,000 - £90,000+

Average working hours? 9am - 6pm, plus possible evening/weekend hours. People in technical support roles may work shifts.

Negatives?

Starting salary?

Positives?

£16,500 - £45,000

• Intellectual stimulation. • Varied working day. • High salaries.

Potential earnings? £40,000 - £1,000,000+

Negatives?

Average working hours?

• Highly competitive. • Long hours. • Stressful.

8.30am - 7pm, plus extra evening/weekend hours.

• Highly competitive. • Pressure to meet deadlines. • Can be repetitive.

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Manufacturing & Production You might have heard that careers in manufacturing and production are all about making boxes, packing boxes and moving

Management Consulting & Business You might have heard that careers in management consulting and business are all about bossing people around, telling them what to do and how to do it. Well, to be honest, that’s not entirely true. In order to operate effectively, every single company needs direction, organisation, strategy and innovation. Every company wants to grow, develop and contend with its competitors. Consequently, managers, administration staff and management consultants are all required to make sure things are done right. Careers in management consultancy and business span every single area of work. These types of professionals are needed in all kinds of organisations, from hospitals and banks to television companies and toy manufacturers. Different approaches to management and business administration are more effective in different situations. For instance, do you use ‘the carrot’ or ‘the stick’? Generally though, people who work in these fields will have an excellent mix of logic, strategic thinking, organisational skills and communication abilities.

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Starting salary?

Positives?

£12,000 - £35,000

• Intellectual stimulation. • High level of responsibility. • Global opportunities.

Potential earnings? £30,000 - £125,000+

Average working hours? 9am - 5pm, plus extra evening/weekend hours.

Negatives? • Highly competitive. • Pressure to meet deadlines. • Stressful.

boxes. Alternatively, you might have heard that a job in a factory requires you to put cherries on cupcakes all day, every day. Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s all about factories. Since the Industrial Revolution manufacturing has basically been about making and producing goods in large quantities. However, it’s not just conveyor belts and hair nets – manufacturing and production involves conducting research, testing, developing prototypes, engineering and maintenance. Without factories, companies would not be able to produce their goods quickly enough or in the volumes that they require. All humans will consume, use, drive, or wipe their behinds with mass produced goods at some point in their day-to-day lives. Manufacturing can be based around handmade crafts and high-tech production; although they work on different scales, both are essentially forms of industrial production in which raw materials or chemicals are turned into finished products. Careers in this sector range from manual labour and operational jobs to highly-technical and managerial positions.

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Starting salary?

Positives?

£11,000 - £25,000

• Satisfaction in producing tangible, useful products. • Opportunity to work as part of a team.

Potential earnings? £30,000 - £65,000+

Average working hours? Work is frequently on a shift basis, so you may be required to work irregular and unsociable hours.

Negatives? • Work can be repetitive and monotonous. • Low starting salary and potential earnings.

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Medicine & Medical Sciences Media

You might have heard that careers in

You may think that a career in the media will mean you will be presenting the news, having your own radio show, or writing for Vogue. You may have heard that you need to have a perfectly crafted haircut, a distinctive regional accent and a personal stylist to work in this exciting world of celebrities and glossy magazines. Sure, your career could take one of these routes, but it’s pretty unlikely really. You don’t have to be Alexa Chung, Nick Grimshaw or A.A. Gill to work in this industry. Malcolm X famously once said that “the media is the most powerful entity on earth.” In many ways, he was right: from television, film and radio, to what we see on the internet, media is everywhere, and it can entertain as much as it can influence. As you can probably imagine, working in the media is fast-paced and extremely competitive. If you can handle the pressures thrown at you, it can be a very exciting way to make a living. What’s more, there are literally thousands of different roles you can explore. So whether you’re looking to get your face (or voice) out there, or you want to get involved in the technical or production sides of things, there are very few limits to the amount of opportunities available in the media sector. Employers in media look for a wide range of people with different technical and personal skills. Generally, you’re going to need to be confident, enthusiastic, versatile and willing to go the extra mile to get projects finished.

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medicine and medical sciences are all about playing doctors and nurses. You might think that if you work in this sector you will constantly be plagued by sounds like: “beep, beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeeep,” and “nee naa nee naa nee naa.” You may have heard that you’ll constantly be extracting people’s teeth and drilling holes in people’s jaws. Alternatively, you might have heard that you’ll be developing ground-breaking cures for different diseases every week. Sure, your career in medicine and medical sciences could include some of these things at some point, but certainly not all the time. This sector is all about helping people who are having problems with their physical health. It’s all about saving lives and improving lives. It’s all about treatments, cures, medicine and drugs, and about research, innovation and breakthroughs. Everybody is dependent on the specialist skills of medical staff, dentists and medical scientists at some point in their lives: if we break a bone, if we need an operation, if we have an accident, when we go for a dental checkup, even when we take a paracetamol. It may seem obvious, but without doctors, nurses and medical science experts, people would physically not be able to survive. Some careers require a greater amount of medical, technical and scientific knowledge. Understandably, doctors, surgeons, dentists, pharmacologists and medical research scientists need to be absolute experts in their specialist field, so those who pursue these careers need to have an excellent academic background. However, many other career options exist in medicine, medical sciences and research, which simply need people with specialist practical or care skills, such as nurses, technical healthcare assistants and laboratory assistants.

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Starting salary?

Positives?

£12,000 - £25,000

• Fast-paced and exciting. • Opportunities for creativity. • Small possibility of fame and fortune.

Starting salary?

Positives?

£14,500 - £35,000

Negatives?

Potential earnings?

• Highly competitive. • Quite low starting salaries. • Constant pressure to meet deadlines.

£23,000 - £175,000+

• Immense satisfaction in saving and improving people’s lives. • Varied and unpredictable working day.

Potential earnings? £22,000 - £100,000+

Average working hours? Often long, irregular and unsociable. May include evening and weekend work.

Average working hours? Many roles have irregular and unsociable hours due to shift patterns.

Negatives? • Stressful and emotionally draining. • Long and irregular hours.

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Property, Construction & Architecture You might have heard that careers in

Public Sector & Defence

construction are all about regular tea

You might have heard that public sector and

breaks and getting a suntan in the summer.

defence careers involve jeering or sneering

You might have also heard that careers in

in parliament. You might have heard that

architecture involve sitting around in stylish

working for the government involves

offices, building models of skyscrapers out

drinking martinis, romancing international

of ice lolly sticks and chewing gum. Well I

beauties and bamboozling Russian spies

hate to disappoint you, but you’re way off

with your sharp wit and your big gun. Or

the mark.

maybe you’ve heard that careers in the

It’s all about buildings. Well, it’s really all about the entire built environment. Without the essential work of architects, builders, painters, plasterers, surveyors, plumbers and electricians, we would have nowhere to live, nowhere to work, nowhere to watch sporting or music events, and no bridges to cross. Basically, civilisation would not have happened. It’s safe to say that our lives wouldn’t be the same without the hard work of the people that work in this industry. Careers in property, construction and architecture cover a wide range of specialist activities, from architectural design and the planning of building projects to the active construction of properties and the restoration, regeneration and maintenance of existing buildings. Each construction project has a concrete end to it (excuse the pun), and thus the successful design, planning and construction of a building can provide its employees with an immense feeling of satisfaction. Understandably, many jobs in the construction and maintenance industry require specialist practical skills. All in all though, everyone involved in property, construction, and architecture must have excellent organisational skills and the ability to work as part of a team.

public sector involve lots of paperwork, office work, meetings and greetings. To be honest, you’ve probably heard a lot about public sector and defence careers; some of it might be true and some of it might be false. Public sector and defence careers are all about working for the government. So many different careers are available within this huge area of work, including: police officers, members of the armed forces, civil servants, nurses, and many more. Everything we do is influenced in some way by the people who work in public sector and defence: when we take out the recycling, when we pay tax, when we show our passport at the airport or when we drive down a road, someone’s hard work is pushing it all along smoothly. Careers within this sector can be pursued within a broad range of organisations, with central government offices, local councils, the NHS, and executive governmental agencies to name just a few.

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Starting salary?

Positives?

£12,000 - £27,000

• Satisfaction in creating something tangible and permanent. • Opportunities for creativity and problem- solving. • Opportunity to run your own business.

Potential earnings? £32,000 - £85,000+

Average working hours? 9am - 6pm, plus possible extra evening/weekend hours.

Negatives? • Working in all weathers. • Some roles can be dangerous. • Some roles can be relatively low paid at entry level.

Starting salary?

Positives?

£16,000 - £27,000

£21,000 - £100,000+

• Fantastic training. • Job security. • Have a direct impact on the safety and prosperity of every member of society.

Average working hours?

Negatives?

9am - 5pm. However, many roles, e.g. police officer, have irregular hours.

• Pressure to meet deadlines. • Some roles are highly dangerous.

Potential earnings?

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Recruitment & Human Resources

Retail & Sales

This industry is all about people. No

bit repetitive and just involve relentlessly

company is run entirely by robots (in fact,

stacking shelves, folding clothes or scanning

some companies don’t even use robots

barcodes. You might think that people

at all… shocking!), and the one thing all

who work in sales are just dodgy second-

businesses need is people. Recruitment and

hand car salesmen with bizarrely coloured

human resources staff hire the right people,

suits, drenched in the overwhelming smell

retain the right people and develop them

of cologne. Well to be honest, that’s not

throughout their careers.

entirely true.

When we get paid, when we get a job offer, when we go on a training scheme, when we have a telephone interview, and even when we retire and start living off our pension, it’s all down to the people who work in recruitment and human resources. Without these people, the complex world of work would not be able to function.

Have you ever thought about what really goes into running a shop or a sales business? Who decides what goes in the window displays? Who decides to put the shoes downstairs and the jeans upstairs? Who decides what to sell? How do they make things look so shiny and exciting? Where does all the stock come from? Every time you buy something, your experience is subconsciously affected by the decisions that have been made by the many different people working in retail and sales careers.

Recruitment consultant roles are actually similar to a lot of sales jobs. Yet, rather than selling cleaning products or cars, they are selling people to employers. Luck can play a factor, but the best recruitment consultants make their own luck through hard work and mental agility, by networking and building relationships. A recruitment consultant’s life is driven by targets, and they can potentially make a lot of money from lucrative commission and bonus schemes. Human resources is such a broad area of work. Some HR professionals take the general route and do a bit of everything, whilst others even get to make the decisions on how a company’s employment structure should be organised or changed. Some HR guys organise the hiring of new staff and help to train and develop talented employees throughout their career, whereas other members of the HR team use their social, emotional and psychological skills to help improve and maintain the quality of an employee’s working life.

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Starting salary?

Positives?

£14,000 - £37,000

£40,000 - £100,000+

• High earning potential. • Fast-paced, exciting and dynamic working environment. • Opportunity to meet new people every day.

Average working hours?

Negatives?

9am - 6pm, plus possible extra evening/weekend hours.

• Constant deadlines, targets and pressure. • Repetitive responsibilities.

Potential earnings?

You might think that careers in retail are a

Pretty much anything can be bought and sold. Not just tangible products like clothes, cars, houses and cleaning products, but things like advertising space and information. Careers in retail and sales are not only about selling and making money; they are all about providing excellent customer service. People don’t enjoy buying things because they like handing over their hard earned cash. They do it because they enjoy the whole experience: the casual banter with the person at the till, the enthusiastic discussion with an estate agent about the amount of space in a new house, and the haggling involved in getting a really, really good deal. Charm is king in retail and sales careers! Therefore, the main things you will need are excellent communication and customer service skills.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

£12,000 - £35,000

• Opportunities for interaction with lots of different people. • Fast-paced, exciting and busy. • Not your average office job.

Potential earnings? £25,000 - £100,000+

Average working hours? Often long hours, which may include evening and weekend work.

Negatives? • Can be repetitive. • Sales targets mean high pressure. • Relatively low basic starting salary.

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Sport & Recreation You might think that the only way to work in sport and recreation is to be a professional

Science

footballer, tennis player, dancer or poker

You might have heard that all scientific

star. Basically, you love your sport, but

careers involve working in silence in

you’re not Lionel Messi, Darcy Bussell,

laboratories, whilst you inject things into

Rafael Nadal or Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow,

petri dishes, peer through microscopes and

and therefore you’re never going to be able

check the acidity of various liquids. Sure,

to work in this exciting industry.

lab work is common in scientific jobs, but these careers are definitely not routine, boring and pointless. In fact, these careers are some of the most varied, important and challenging jobs in the world. It’s all about innovation, discovery and research. It’s all about trying things, doing experiments and making exhilarating scientific breakthroughs. It’s all about doing things that nobody else has ever done before. It’s all about improving people’s lives, improving commercial enterprises and developing our knowledge and understanding of people, nature, the world and the universe. The phrase “the sky’s the limit” doesn’t even apply to careers in science. Much like the universe, careers in scientific research and development are literally limitless; new things can always be discovered and things can always be improved.

Alternatively, you might think that the only other way to realistically get a job in sport and recreation is to be a P.E. teacher, work in a leisure centre, or be the coach of a Sunday league football team. Well, that’s simply not the case. Every single area of sport and recreation requires a wealth of behind-thescenes staff, including coaches, physical trainers, medical staff, sports agents and referees. You could even plan and manage sports events or dive headfirst into sports broadcasting or journalism. Since the London 2012 Olympics, the UK’s interest in sport has been rejuvenated and more job opportunities are becoming available. There has also been a major boost in the popularity of gaming and gambling (especially online poker), and consequently there has been a noticeable growth in the amount of jobs available in this industry. Many different skills are needed for the many different kinds of sport and recreation careers, but the one thing you really need is a true sporting passion. If you really want to work in this sector, you will need to be able to demonstrate your enthusiasm.

Jobs in this sector stretch across so many different fascinating areas. If you thought that the differences between chemistry, physics, biology and maths were complex enough, then you’re in for a shock. Thousands of specialisms exist, from astrophysics and marine biology to zoological sciences and pharmacology.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

To follow a scientific career path you are going to have to be highly intelligent, logical, ambitious and, most importantly, passionate about your chosen subject.

£12,000 - £30,000

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

£35,000 - £100,000+ Professional athletes can earn well in excess of this amount.

• Combine your work and your passion. • Opportunity to keep yourself fit and healthy. • Varied working day.

Starting salary?

Positives?

£14,000 - £28,000

• Intellectual stimulation. • Opportunity to make exciting breakthroughs that can change the world. • High potential earnings.

Potential earnings? £35,000 - £100,000+

Average working hours? Variable. Some roles may require irregular hours.

Potential earnings?

Average working hours?

Negatives? • Highly competitive. • Potentially short career span.

Can be irregular and unsociable.

Negatives? • Pressure to meet deadlines. • Can be stressful.

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Teaching & Education

Transport & Logistics

You may think that careers in teaching

You might have heard that a career in

and education are pretty easy; you teach

transport is a wonderfully free and relaxing

a few kids some basic stuff, you scribble

way of life, where your responsibilities

on people’s essays in bright red pen, write

simply include sleeping in service stations,

some cryptic school reports and then take

and getting one (just one) very sunburnt

ridiculously long holidays for most of the

arm as you drive a gargantuan truck around

year. Well, to be honest, that’s not true.

Europe. You may also have heard that a

Careers in teaching and education are arguably the most important in the world. It’s all about helping people to learn, develop and acquire knowledge, information and skills.

career in logistics involves getting lost inside a warehouse every single day.

Many of the careers in teaching and education involve actively teaching people. However, it may interest you to know that an abundance of careers are available in this sector, which don’t actually involve working in a classroom or lecture theatre.

Well, don’t worry. You’re not going to find yourself dazed and confused in an endless maze of crates and pallets, and you’re not necessarily going to live your entire life inside a small truck cab. How come? Because there are so many different career options in this exciting industry!

If you want to work in teaching and education, you also don’t necessarily have to teach children or young people. Adults also want, and often need, to be educated.

It’s all about moving things, storing things and supplying things. And when we say ‘things’, we mean anything and everything, from people and animals to goods and services. Without the transport and logistics industry, we wouldn’t be able to get to work in the morning, or fly away on holiday, and international trade would certainly not be ‘inter-national’ anymore. Plus, you would never wake up to find a birthday card being stuffed through your letterbox.

An educator’s job is very challenging. You really need to be able to engage and connect with the people you are teaching. Confidence, charisma, enthusiasm, communication skills and patience are all essential. You will also need to have detailed knowledge of the specific subject you are planning to teach. After all, it’s difficult to teach someone about something you don’t understand yourself.

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

£13,000 - £28,000

• Intellectual stimulation. • Immense satisfaction from inspiring, educating and helping students. • Large holiday allowance.

Potential earnings? £33,000 - £90,000+

Average working hours? 8.30am - 5pm, plus possible extra evening/weekend hours.

Negatives? • Can be stressful and tiring. • Salaries for most teachers are capped. Only senior management professionals get the high salaries.

Every person and every industry in the world is influenced by, and depends upon, transport and logistics. Consequently, there are so many diverse careers available in this exciting, fast-paced and ever-changing sector, from transport planning and supply chain management to transport engineering and freight forwarding. Loads of different skills are needed for the many different kinds of transport and logistics careers, but the one thing you really need is an interest in being part of an industry that makes the world go round (or makes things go round the world?!).

Explore this industry more at MyCareerSpringboard.org

Starting salary?

Positives?

£12,000 - £48,000

• Challenging. • Opportunities for travel. • Decent potential earnings.

Potential earnings? £25,000 - £135,000+

Negatives?

Average working hours?

• Can be stressful. • Long and irregular hours are common.

Many people work shift patterns, so hours may be irregular and unsociable.

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Essential Info Apprenticeship Training: What to Expect The thing about apprenticeships is that they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about getting a job. Their main purpose is to make sure you receive the training and get the skills to be a hit in the world of work.

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It’s a bit like Batman (wait, bear with us). Without your apprenticeship training and qualifications, you are like Christian Bale in pyjamas. Still deadly, but add the suit, the Batmobile and all the gadgets and you’re contending with a whole different person. Add apprenticeship training to your armoury and you’re well on the way to being a (yes, we’re going to say it) superhero of the job world. So what will apprenticeship training consist of? Unfortunately, there’ll probably be no push-ups, combat training and martial arts, but you will study towards qualifications whilst working for a company. That means you’ll be splitting your time between work and college, so you can get the best of both worlds.

What qualifications will I gain with an apprenticeship?

When does my apprenticeship training start?

The qualifications you’ll get will vary from apprenticeship to apprenticeship. However, all apprenticeships aim to provide you with a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or another equivalent qualification. If you complete the apprenticeship, you’ll be the proud owner of a Key Skills qualification and a technical certificate too. Not quite as impressive as owning a Batmobile – but who cares?

There’s no national starting date as apprenticeships are available all year round. Of course, when you start the work-based part of your training the start date will depend on your employer.

Tell me more… Let’s delve a little more into the anatomy of an apprenticeship. It’s a structured programme and it is required to have the following elements: a knowledge-based element, a competence-based element, transferable or ‘key skills’, and a module on employment rights and responsibilities. Don’t groan! You won’t be spending all of your time in a classroom. The whole point of an apprenticeship is that you’ll get to experience life beyond college and get thrown into some real work situations. On-the-job, you’ll pick up relevant technical skills, gain an understanding of the industry, and acquire the competencies needed to perform your duties to the required standard. All apprenticeships aim to give you a basic set of ‘key skills’ too, such as communication, numeracy, problem solving and teamwork.

How long will it last? Apprenticeship training can last between one and four years. Most of the training will be on-the-job, so you’ll be working at least 30 hours a week for the employer. You’ll spend the rest of your training at a local college or training provider. Your training time will be split between your employer and training provider. You might spend two days a week at college and three days in the office or workshop. Alternatively, you might only go to college once a fortnight (or maybe even less). Some employers use a ‘block training’ approach, concentrating the required off-the-job training into weekly or fortnightly slots across the year.

How much does apprenticeship training cost? Here’s the good bit: if you’re under 24, your apprenticeship training will be funded by the government. That means no tuition fees and no debt. On top of that, you’ll be paid by the employer. The current National Minimum Wage for Apprentices is £2.73 an hour. However, most employers tend to pay more.

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School Leaver Programme Training: What to Expect If you’re accepted onto a school leaver programme, you’ll earn a handsome wage, you’ll dodge the bullet of student debt, and you’ll get your foot on the career ladder earlier than your friends who go to university. More importantly, though, you will receive world-class training, which will equip you with the skills to really thrive in your career. You might have natural ability, determination and an unrelenting desire to succeed, but the training you receive as a school leaver will really make a difference. Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale all had natural talent when they got their first break in football, but the work they’ve done on the training ground with their football clubs is what’s helped them develop into true superstars. It’s the same deal with school leaver programmes. Training is of paramount importance.

Induction period…

Studying…

Joining a large company straight from sixth form can be a daunting prospect. Fortunately though, most companies won’t drop you straight in at the deep end. It’s likely that your life as a school leaver trainee will begin with an induction period.

As part of your school leaver programme, you will work towards a professional qualification, a foundation degree or an undergraduate degree. This part of your training is likely to involve attending lectures and workshops, doing a lot of self-study, completing assignments and sitting exams.

Your induction might last a few days, it might last a few weeks, but it will essentially give you a comprehensive introduction to the company, your new role and what to expect over the next few years. This will also be an opportunity for you to spend some time with the other school leaver trainees and get to know your line managers. The induction period is also likely to involve a number of social events, which will give you an opportunity to get to know your colleagues better.

In-house training sessions… On-the-job… Once the induction period is over, it’ll be time to knuckle down. A large proportion of your training will be done on-the-job under the supervision of a senior member of staff. This is arguably the most vital aspect of your training. You’ll be rolling up your sleeves, getting your hands dirty, strapping on the nosebag and eating some serious work. The best way to learn about a job is by actually doing the job. It will also be a perfect way to apply what you learn in the classroom to a real-life work situation. As part of your on-the-job training, you might complete a set of rotations, where you’ll work in one department for six months, then another department for the next six months, and so on. This is a great way of gaining experience in different areas of the business, developing a variety of skills, and figuring out which area of the business you would like to specialise in once you’ve completed the programme.

You might spend one day at college and four days working for the company, or you might be sent to a training centre on block release. For some school leaver programmes, you might attend university for a year, before returning to work fulltime for the company and finishing your qualification through distance learning. Either way you’ll have to work hard to succeed.

It’s likely that you will also be required to take part in in-house training sessions and skills workshops from time-to-time, which will be organised by your company and held in your offices on a regular basis. These sessions will give you the opportunity to find out more about the business, keep up-to-date with industry developments, and learn about the latest business processes and computer systems that you will be using in your role.

Support & feedback… In addition to your training, you will receive ongoing support from senior colleagues and receive regular feedback on your performance. This support and feedback will most likely be given in a structured way. For instance, you may be required to take part in midrotation and end-of-rotation appraisals with your line manager.

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How much will I earn as an apprentice?

How much will I earn on a school leaver programme?

As anyone will tell you, one of the big perks

The reason that school leaver programmes

of an apprenticeship is that you’ll get paid.

are such an attractive alternative to

But hold up, before you splash out on a

university is the fact that you won’t have

new set of wheels, you should find out how

to fork out wads of cash for expensive

much you will actually earn.

tuition fees and, better still, you’ll be paid

The National Minimum Wage for Apprentices is £2.73 an hour. It’s illegal for a company to pay you anything lower. This minimum wage applies to all 16-18-year-old apprentices and those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship. Luckily, employers tend to pay more than minimum wage. On average, apprentices tend to earn around £170 a week; although some earn less and others earn more. Also, after the first year of the apprenticeship, people who are aged 19 and over must get paid the full National Minimum Wage for their age group. Don’t worry though! You won’t be paid those rates all your life. As you grow in experience, your pay levels will increase. It might be low to start with, but it won’t stay that way. In fact, it’s getting paid while you learn that is one of the real advantages of doing an apprenticeship. If you’re under 24, then the government will cover the cost of your training. Of course, if you do get paid the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices, you might be eligible to receive benefits from the government as well. In any case, it’s worth exploring the funding options out there.

handsomely by your employer as you work towards a qualification and gain valuable work experience. But how lucrative will your school leaver programme salary be?

More bang for your buck Since the vast majority of school leaver programmes don’t fit into an accredited apprenticeship framework, and participants in these kind of training schemes are not employed on a ‘Contract of Apprenticeship’, companies do not have to comply with the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices (£2.73 an hour). Instead, they must pay their school leavers the full National Minimum Wage appropriate to their age, which is £3.79 for under 18-year-olds, £5.13 for 18-to-20-year-olds and £6.50 for people aged 21 and over. Fortunately, the majority of companies that run school leaver programmes recognise that they need to attract candidates with impressive salary and benefits packages. Consequently, the vast majority of employers offer their school leavers salaries above and beyond the National Minimum Wage.

Show me the money! Understandably, different companies pay school leavers differing amounts. Many large companies, such as major accounting firms choose not to reveal how much they pay their school leavers on their websites; they simply state that they offer a ‘competitive’ salary. Based on how competitive the school leaver job market is becoming, and salary information released by other companies that run similar programmes, it’s safe to assume that the most powerful companies in the finance and business sector will pay their school leavers a starting annual salary of around £20,000 or more. This can vary, however, based on location. Indeed, school leavers based in London are likely to be paid more because of higher living costs. If you fancy a job in public sector finance, you could join the National Audit Office’s school leaver programme, where you’ll earn £22,274 per annum. If engineering is more your thing, you could sign up to one of National Grid’s school leaver programmes, where you’ll earn £23,500.

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A-level Results: What if My Grades Aren’t Enough? A-level results day always seems to be filled with news reports and articles on happy students in their school hall beaming away with their straight A results transcripts, right? Or doing one of those ‘jump for joy’ poses in the air? And that rather irritating comment that exams are getting easier tends to crop up too. Have they tried A-level maths recently?! 18-year-olds across the country have spent weeks worrying about their future destinations. There’s a lot of pressure riding on that one piece of paper! So when the day finally arrives and you are one of those jolly souls to have bagged the right grades for what you want to do next and where you want to go, that’s definitely a licence to party!

But what about the rest of us? A-level results aren’t always the most pleasant of experiences for everyone. There are still plenty of people out there who don’t quite manage to get the grades they need for their plans. And if you’re one of them, it can feel worse than that envelope moment for the losing contender on Britain’s Got Talent, The Voice and The X Factor combined. Understatement, much? When you’ve worked so hard for two years and just missed out on your goal, it’s tough. And it’s okay to be disappointed. But all will not be lost! So you need an action plan to prepare you for that bit of paper and what to do if things don’t quite go to plan on A-level results day…

So what do you do if your A-level grades aren’t enough? “My life is over!!” Err, think again! If you don’t quite get what you need for Plan A, this does NOT mean

that you are useless, no good and won’t ever get an education, job or career. So first things first, get that out of your head right away! We mean it. Just talk to some of the people around you. We guarantee you’ll find someone who didn’t quite get the grades, and they’re still standing! If your plan was to go to university and your heart’s still set on this, then keep calm and call the exam results helpline. Advisers are available throughout the exam results period to discuss what you can do with lower, or even higher grades than expected. It’ll be really busy on A-level results day, so perhaps giving them a call beforehand might not be a bad idea, just to get your head straight about your potential options. Clearing can be a stressful process if you are still sure you want to go to university. The best way to deal with it is to be very focused about the course you want to study, and ensure you select the best course available to you for that subject area.

Sponsored Degrees If a traditional university route isn’t an option with your results, you might be able to try another way in, such as sponsored degrees. Some big companies will now pay for successful applicants with A-level qualifications to study a full degree at university, whilst also gaining work experience and training in their offices. The scheme then leads to a job with the company once you’ve got your degree. One way to avoid tuition fees!

Higher Apprenticeships If your grades aren’t what you expect, you may still be a perfect candidate for an Intermediate, Advanced or Higher Apprenticeship.

engineer, accountant, IT specialist or even a lawyer nowadays! Higher Apprenticeships require applicants to have A-levels, sometimes in relevant subjects to the industry, so numericallybased qualifications will be good for an accountancy or finance apprenticeship, for example. You could also apply for a job straight away. However, you may be less likely to gain as much formal structured training. On completing a Higher Apprenticeship, which can last up to five years, you will be at the same level as any graduate, with even more on-the-job experience. Some even result in a permanent job at the company you’ve been an apprentice for. It paves a route for serious progression within the chosen sector. Hello employability! More and more companies are seeing the importance of employing bright, keen young people to start learning the ropes in an apprenticeship format, and the government is pressing for the creation of more of these options in the near future. So having a dip into some more information about apprenticeships as a back-up plan, or even first choice, isn’t such a shabby idea!

Talk about it! Whatever you decide, don’t bottle up your frustrations regarding your results and your next move. Family, friends, careers advisers and teachers, are there to help you through. It’s important to know there are options out there for you. Places for university may be becoming more competitive, but there is certainly an option out there for everyone – even if they don’t get the results they expect. And there is most definitely life after A-level results!

Modern apprenticeships are kind of a big deal. They are offered by some of the biggest graduate employers in the UK, such as PwC, Deloitte, National Grid and Visa Europe, they provide structured training and they pay competitive salaries. News flash: you don’t need a degree to pursue a career as an

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How to Find an Apprenticeship or School Leaver Programme

Other sources of vacancies include…

So you’ve decided you want to do an apprenticeship or a school

The National Apprenticeship Service, which lists a large number of apprenticeship vacancies.

leaver programme. That’s great! Of course, the great big hulking question is: where can you find these vacancies?

Apprenticeship & school leaver programme job boards

Speculative applications to companies

You can start off by using the job board on AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk, where you can find apprenticeships, school leaver programmes and sponsored degrees with some of the UK’s top companies.

Many job opportunities aren’t advertised, but there is another weapon in the school leaver’s arsenal and that is the speculative application. If there’s a company that you really want to work for, or one that you know has taken on apprentices in the past, then you can always send them a speculative application.

You can also browse a list of employers and training providers to find out about the organisations offering opportunities for school and college leavers. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our Top Employers for School & College Leavers at the front of this book.

This involves giving them a call to find out the name and contact details of the person who handles recruitment for the company. You can then send them a speculative cover letter and your CV (usually via email), enquiring about possible apprenticeship vacancies. A couple of weeks later you can follow up your email with a call to check that the person has received it. Speculative applications aren’t a sure-fire way of getting an apprenticeship, but they’re certainly worth a shot.

Your local job centre will often have details of apprenticeship vacancies in your area or companies willing to take on apprentices. Alternatively, you could get in touch with your local council for information about possible opportunities.

Try getting in contact with your local further education college or training provider to find out about possible opportunities.

If you know what industry or sector you want to get into, then you could try sector skills councils and professional associations to find out about the sorts of opportunities available.

It’s well worth keeping an eye on industry publications for news of companies taking on apprentices.

Attend apprenticeship and school leaver job fairs near you. These are a great way to find out about the types of opportunities available and the companies offering them.

Social media. Many school leaver employers now have Facebook pages and Twitter profiles, so search for these next time you’re logged in and follow them to find out about the latest opportunities.

You might also want to search on the internet for larger companies with offices in your area and give them a call or check on their website to see if they have any opportunities for school leavers. The safest bet is to try the employers with established graduate schemes as they are often more likely to have a school leaver programme or apprenticeship scheme.

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Useful Tips & Advice How to Write a Brilliant Cover Letter Your cover letter isn’t a throwaway document; it’s the introduction to your CV, flaunting your relevant qualities and hammering home why you’d be an excellent asset to the company. In the old days, paper covering letters literally covered your CV when they were placed on top. Nowadays, most people send cover letters in an email format with their CV attached. Companies might ask candidates to send a cover letter and CV as part of an application, or you might send a cover letter when speculatively applying for an apprenticeship.

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What should I put in my apprenticeship cover letter? You should mention your lifelong devotion to Burnley FC, how you like to organise your wardrobe and why celebs posting makeup free pics of themselves on Twitter is like totes amaze. Really? No. An apprenticeship cover letter is a professional, formal letter and its content should reflect that. You want it to showcase your qualities and skills which are relevant to the apprenticeship. So before you do anything, make sure you’ve researched the company (their website is a good place to start) and the apprenticeship. What’s different about the company? What are their values? Who are their customers? What does the apprenticeship involve? What do they look for in apprentices? You should also think about what attracts you to the company and the apprenticeship. Thinking over, let’s crack on with writing it. Companies don’t have a whole lot of time, so keep your cover letter relatively short. Around three paragraphs should do the trick. You can create a general cover letter template, but you should tailor it for every apprenticeship application. Whoever is reading it should get the sense that you’re passionate about their apprenticeship in particular, not that you’re just desperate for anything going.

Structuring your apprenticeship cover letter Even though you’ll most likely be emailing your cover letter, it’s important to abide by some letter writing rules. Try and address your covering letter to a named person (e.g. “Dear Claire Smith”). To do this, you’ll need to call up the company and ask who is in charge of hiring apprentices. If you can’t find out, then you might just have to settle for “Dear Sir/Madam”. Clearly divide your cover letter into paragraphs and end it “Yours sincerely” if it’s being sent to a named person or if you haven’t managed to find out a name then use: “Yours faithfully” followed by your name.

Paragraph One Use the first paragraph of your letter to explain why you are writing, to identify the apprenticeship you’re interested in and to give them a unique reason why you think you’d be an asset to the company. Try to show enthusiasm and genuine interest in the apprenticeship and the company.

Paragraph Two The next paragraph might outline why you’re interested in the company, the apprenticeship and the industry. Try to come up with genuine and different reasons, not “I want to work for you because you’re the best”.

Paragraph Three In this paragraph you might want to pick out the skills and qualities you have that would make you a great apprentice. Use the apprenticeship job description as a jumping off point, as, more often than not, it’ll include a list of the qualities or competencies they are looking for. Back up your assertions with evidence.

Finally… You can tie up your letter by addressing any formalities, such as saying when you’re available for interview, or covering any practical issues they might ask about. And hey presto! You have a tip top cover letter. Bosh!

EXTRA TIPS

Try and avoid boring formulaic sentences and clichés. A cover letter is also a chance to show off your writing, so sending in something that looks like it was written by a robot probably won’t impress.

Steer clear of Times New Roman and embrace contemporary fonts like Verdana or Helvetica. These fonts are designed to be read on the screen so are particularly useful if you are emailing your cover letter.

Try and keep your cover letter relatively short: it should be no longer than one side of A4, and preferably shorter. Employers don’t want to have to spend too long reading your cover letter.

Read it through aloud to make sure it makes sense and get someone else to check over your cover letter and give feedback. You might need to do several drafts. At the risk of sounding like a nagging grandma, scour every inch of your apprenticeship cover letter for grammatical errors, typos and spelling mistakes. You’ll thank us later.

3 4

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How to Write a CV Putting together a CV might seem like a daunting prospect, but don’t worry, we’re here to help. An apprenticeship CV doesn’t have to be as long as a normal CV. The employer won’t expect you to have loads of experience, so if your CV is only a page long, that should be fine. In any case, as a rule, most CVs shouldn’t be longer than two pages. You should equip yourself with a basic CV template and then tailor it for every application. That means identifying the skills, qualifications and experience that you think will interest the employer and are most relevant to the apprenticeship or school leaver programme you are applying for. Nobody likes to see flabby bits on a CV. It should be as trim and fit as an Olympic athlete. Resist the temptation to pad your CV out with useless information. Yes, your CV might look a bit on the skinny side, but short and sweet is better than long and irrelevant.

Presentation… Your CV should be typed; don’t scrawl it out on the back of a cereal packet. When choosing a font, don’t go smaller than point size 11. Don’t go wacky, but maybe try something other than Arial and Times New Roman. Since so many CVs are sent via email or through online application systems, you might want to use a font designed to be read on screen such as Verdana or Helvetica. Never, ever use Comic Sans! What you put in your CV is super important, but so is the layout. Use headings to divide your CV into sections so the reader can easily pick out what they are looking for. Bold, italics and bullet points will help make your CV more readable, but don’t go overboard. Clear and simple is the way forward.

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What should I actually put in my CV? Contact details Positioned at the top of your CV should be your name. Underneath should be your contact details, i.e. address, telephone number and email address.

For example: Jane Smith 38 School Leaver Lane, Brighton. B3 9GH j.smith@mail.me 0776230321

Parrot Shop). Underneath, you should list what your duties were and the skills that you developed whilst working there. For example: My duties involved: • assisting customers; • selling; • cleaning the shop; • answering the telephone and working behind the till. Dealing with particularly demanding customers really developed my customer service skills. I also learnt to work efficiently under pressure during busy weekend periods and developed an exemplary telephone manner. The aim of this section is to prove to the employer that you have the skills they are looking for. For instance, the list of duties above would be great for someone wanting to get an apprenticeship in a call centre as it shows: customer services skills, telephone skills and working well under pressure.

Personal profile Underneath that you could put in a brief personal profile explaining what your career aspirations are, why you want to work in this particular industry, and any attributes or skills that you have that’ll make them want to employ you. Your personal profile should only be a few lines, so don’t bore them with a great long essay.

Education Below your personal profile, comes your education. Insert a header ‘Education’ and then underneath it list it in chronological order, with the last school you attended at the top. You should only record your education from the age of 11, so don’t mention your primary school. For example, you could list it like this:

2006-present: All About School Leavers High School A-levels: English Language, Maths, Biology (ABB predicted) GSCEs: English Language (A), Food Technology (A), English Literature (B), Maths (B), French (B), Dual Science Award (C) (C), History (C), IT (C), Psychology (C).

You can play around with how you present it, but make sure it’s readable and you’ve got all the right information. Remember to put down what the qualification is, e.g. GCSE, BTEC or A-level. It’s also best not to include subjects that you have failed. You might want to include any other academic achievements too; for example, if you got a scholarship or achieved a gold award in the ‘Maths Challenge’.

Work experience

Interests & extracurricular activities If you don’t have much work experience, you can really play up your interests and extracurricular activities, i.e. anything you’ve been involved with inside and outside of school. Mention interests that are relevant to the apprenticeship or things that will interest the reader (definitely not: “I like hanging out with my mates and playing on my Xbox One”). You might also want to mention any other non-academic achievements, such as getting a brown belt in karate or getting a silver Duke of Edinburgh award. If you volunteer in your spare time, then definitely put that down.

Skills Depending on the apprenticeship, you might want to mention language skills and computing skills. Tell them if you’re fluent in any languages. If you aren’t, but you can hold a conversation in a foreign language, then say that you’re an ‘intermediate’ or ‘conversational’ speaker. If you are applying for an apprenticeship that requires practical skills, you might want to briefly outline any technical skills you’ve got. Applying for an office based apprenticeship? Then put down your general and specialist computing skills. Do you have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Adobe Dreamweaver or Photoshop? What is your typing speed? Can you use both PCs and Macs? Whatever you can do, put it down!

References Don’t worry! You won’t need a huge amount of references. Usually you’ll need about two or three. The important thing to remember is that they should not be members of your family or your friends. You can ask your teacher or tutor for a reference and you can get references from previous employers or people you worked for during work experience placements. Always contact your referees first to make sure they are happy to give a reference and to have their contact details shared.

Next, you should put in any work experience you’ve done. This might include any jobs you’ve had, or any work experience placements you’ve done. Like your education, it is usually better to put the most recent things first. You should write down the dates you worked there (e.g. September 2010 to February 2010), the name of the company you worked for and your role (e.g. Saturday Sales Assistant at The Irritating

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Finally (turning on the loudspeaker) There’s one way you can instantly put off an employer and that’s having spelling and grammatical mistakes in your CV. Get someone who really knows their stuff to check your CV for errors. Double-check to make sure you’ve put down the right contact details, and read through your CV several times to check it through. There is nothing, and we mean nothing, worse than a CV riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

Common CV Mistakes There are some mistakes that even the most seasoned of job hunters make, so nip them in the bud early and make sure your CV doesn’t have any of these all too common mistakes…

4 Poorly formatted CVs

If there’s one thing that makes a recruiter’s heart sink, it’s being confronted with a messy, confusing CV. You need to ensure that your CV has uniform formatting and a clear layout. Use a readable, attractive font and bold for your headings to separate them out from the text.

Using a “fun” email address Don’t undermine your professional CV by using a “fun” or “quirky” personal email address, such as darkangel@mail.com or thechosenone@mail.com. Create a professional sounding email address, which simply includes your name and maybe a number or two.

3 Not checking your CV thoroughly

2 Padding out your CV with fluff Try to avoid padding out your CV with extraneous information to make it look longer. It only needs to be one or two pages long. You should trim and tailor your CV to every job application.

We’re not just talking about sifting out any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and typos here (although this is really important). Checking your contact details should be at the top of your list of priorities. Is your phone number and email address right?

5 Family referees Don’t use your mum, dad, sister or pet hamster as a reference. It doesn’t matter that Humpty the hamster will be able to give you a glowing reference, recruiters won’t be impressed.

Online Application Forms: What to Expect If you’ve never completed an online job application before, there’s a pretty good chance you won’t know what information you’ll be expected to provide when applying for a school leaver programme or apprenticeship. Just so you aren’t shocked, stunned or horrified when you start your application form, here’s a short guide to what you can expect…

Skills At some point on the application form, you will typically be given the chance to provide details of any additional skills you have, any positions of responsibility you’ve held, any scholarships or academic prizes you’ve been awarded, and any significant travelling you’ve done. Only include pieces of information that are relevant to the position you are applying for. If you are fluent in another language, stick it down. If you have some niche IT skills, make sure you include them. If you can touch your nose with your tongue, don’t mention it at all. You get the idea.

Career Motivations Do you meet the basic entry requirements?

Education & Extenuating Circumstances

Many application forms will start off by asking you to confirm that you satisfy the basic entry requirements of the programme. For instance, you will be asked to confirm that you have achieved, or are on course to achieve, the minimum academic requirements for the programme, e.g. 280 UCAS points. You may also be asked to confirm that you are eligible to work in the UK.

In this section, you’ll be asked to list your qualifications and grades. Again, this part is pretty easy, but make sure you’re very careful and don’t make any mistakes. Entering the wrong grades could be costly.

Contact Details / Personal Details The next step of the application form is likely to involve entering your contact details. This is the easy part of the application, but don’t just breeze through it. Make sure you enter your home address, phone number and email address correctly. Double check you have entered the right details. There’s no point in sending off a fantastic application if they can’t contact you to invite you to an interview.

Here are a few example questions: If you enter lower grades than you actually achieved, you may miss out on a place at an assessment centre. If you enter higher grades than you actually achieved, and are asked to provide proof of your grades, you may be removed from the application process for providing false information. If you have any extenuating circumstances that affected your grades, you may also be given the opportunity to explain them in this section of the application form.

Employment History/ Work Experience This is your chance to discuss any jobs you’ve had or any work experience you’ve completed. It’s likely that you’ll be asked to provide the following details: your job title, the name of your employer, the location, the dates you worked there, your responsibilities and your reason for leaving. Make sure you spell the name of your employer correctly and make sure the description of your responsibilities is concise and to-the-point. If you can use bullet points on the application form, we’d recommend doing so. Treat this section of the application form like your CV. Tailor the description of your responsibilities to the specific scheme you are applying for, using carefully selected keywords and cutting out any irrelevant information.

Some application forms may only ask you to detail your education and work experience, and won’t actually ask you any questions. Many other application forms, however, will ask you a handful of questions about your career motivations.

“Why do you want to join…?” “Please explain your understanding of this programme and the activities you expect to undertake in your first year with the firm.” “What does exceptional client service mean to you? Tell us about a time when you have delivered or received exceptional client service. What did you learn from it?”

This is the most challenging part of the application form. You will usually be given a word limit, so your answers will have to be short, sharp and well-informed. Before you answer these questions, make sure you have thoroughly researched the firm. Think hard about your career motivations, be honest and make sure your answers are unique.

References In this section, you will simply be asked to provide the name and contact details of two or three references. Your referee needs to be someone who has known you in a professional capacity, such as a teacher, employer or someone you’ve done work experience with. Make sure you check they are happy to be your referee first. Oh, and don’t use family members or friends!

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Upload CV & Cover Letter

Equal Opportunities

Declaration

Some application forms may ask you to upload your CV and a cover letter. You will usually upload these files in a Word or PDF format.

For their own internal records, companies may ask you to disclose some information about your ethnicity, religion, sexuality and disabilities (if applicable). The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only and will not be used as part of the selection process.

Finally, you will be asked to declare that the information you have provided on the application form is correct. At this point, it might be a good idea to do a quick recap and double check all the information you have provided on the application form. Once you’re happy with everything, confirm that everything is accurate and submit your application. Job done! All you have to do now is sit back and wait for an interview offer.

Assessment Centres: What to Expect For large apprenticeship and school leaver programmes, you might be invited to an assessment centre or assessment day. It might sound intimidating, like something out of a dystopian sci-fi movie, but really there’s no reason to be quaking in your boots. Assessment centres aren’t sinister; you won’t be required to balance a walking stick on your nose whilst humming the national anthem backwards in front of a panel of self-important judges and an audience

How can I prepare for an assessment centre? You might imagine doing a Rocky-esque training montage. Pumping iron and pulling trains with your teeth to the 80s beats of ‘Eye of the Tiger’. You can do that if you want, but in reality, your preparation will probably be less sweat-soaked. Swap the boxing ring for a computer and thoroughly research the company. Scour their website and read up on any recent articles about them or their deals. You might also want to think about your own strengths and weaknesses and what you feel you can bring to the role.

Assessment centres are used by big employers to test your suitability for an apprenticeship or school leaver programme. They are usually saved for applicants in the penultimate or final stage of the application process. So if you’re invited to one, you’ve got every right to be chuffed. It means they think you might be a very good candidate!

The main thing is to keep in mind the selection criteria they specified in the job application. Odds on, every exercise and interview will be geared towards testing you against this. There will probably be a social event incorporated into the day, so prepare a list of questions you want to know about the company to ask the current employees.

Assessment centres are designed to be the most accurate and fair way of testing your suitability. They usually involve a mixture of tests, interviews, and exercises; all designed to give you an opportunity to show the recruiters what you can do. The beauty of this is that if you think you’ve fluffed it in one exercise, you can wow them in the others. One of the major differences about assessment centres is that you’ll get to meet other candidates and might even complete group exercises with them.

What about during the assessment centre?

of millions. Britain’s Got Talent it ain’t.

What does an assessment centre involve? Assessment centres come in all shapes and sizes. They might involve a series of interviews: such as group, panel and individual interviews, or they might involve a mixture of tests, group exercises and interviews. Usually the assessment centre exercises will be designed to reflect the type of work you’ll be doing if offered a place on the programme. The employer will also be looking for other qualities, like how well you work in a team and your leadership skills. Some of the exercises might reflect real working environments; for example, you might be asked to work through a problem or case study.

As part of the assessment centre, you might be required to sit a psychometric, aptitude or numerical reasoning test. Some companies will require you to give a presentation or complete an e-tray exercise. Of course, it’s not just hours upon hours of testing. Most companies incorporate information sessions or social events into the assessment day. These aren’t really about starting a conga line around the office; they’re more about finding out about the company and its culture.

You should treat the assessment centre like a job and go dressed in smart business wear, so put that velour Juicy Couture tracksuit away. One of the biggest challenges at the assessment centre will be keeping your concentration up. You might have a long slog of exercises and interviews, so it’s pretty important that you try and stay motivated. Pay close attention to any instructions and make sure you pace yourself during timed tests. The employers will also be interested in how you interact with others. Be sociable, friendly and shake hands with everyone you meet. There’s not much point in trying to ‘take down’ other candidates. With an assessment centre, there are usually a number of roles up for grabs, not just one. Focus on showing what a great candidate you are, rather than trying to trip others up.

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58Baker Tilly 64Deloitte 66EY 70Gist 72Hill Dic 76JaguarLandR 80National Aud 82National Gri 86Pret a Mange 92Smith & Willia 58

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Featured Firms

60BDO 62CGI Y 68FieldFisher ickinson 74IBM Rover78Mazars dit Office id 84Nomura er 88PwC90Sky amson 94Volvo AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Baker Tilly is an independent, national firm of accountants and business advisers who are dedicated to delivering a comprehensive range of services across a wide variety of business sectors. With 4,000 partners and a staff-generated fee income exceeding £350 million, Baker Tilly is one of the three principal mid-market accountancy firms and seventh largest in the UK.

Programmes Available Baker Tilly School Leaver Apprenticeship The Baker Tilly School Leaver Apprenticeship Scheme is a two-year training programme, which gives apprentices the opportunity to gain entry-level qualifications in either accountancy or tax. Apprentices who reach AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) or ATT (Association of Taxation Technicians) status often go on to study further professional qualifications, becoming Chartered Accountants or Chartered Tax Advisors.

Looking for... Key Statistics No. of Employees:

Baker Tilly are looking for passionate, enthusiastic, energetic people with plenty of ideas. Candidates must be able to work well in a team and have the confidence to participate fully.

4,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers: Competitive

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

Specific qualifications: N/A

Approx. 32

Entry Requirements:

Locations Available:

Applicants must have a minimum of five GCSEs at grades A to C, including at least a grade B in Maths and English Language (or equivalent). They must also have at least 280 UCAS points (or equivalent) from their top three grades, excluding General Studies and re-sits.

48 locations across the UK

Social Media @BakerTilly_Jobs

Search “Baker Tilly”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/baker-tilly

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H e ads

Thinking about the future? Of course you are. But now’s the time to start doing something about it. Baker Tilly is an independent firm of accountants and business advisers, with more than 3,031 people and over 325 partners generating a fee income of £166 million. Whether you join us in Audit, Business Services, Corporate Finance, Risk Advisory or Taxation, you’ll enjoy a powerful combination of on-the-job learning and structured training – not to mention an impressive client list to work with. The result? The financial and commercial skills you need and the business world demands. We’ll also support you, practically and financially, to gain a qualification relevant to your specialism, be that AAT, ACA, CA, CTA, IIA and ACCA. So, whether you’ve just finished your A-levels, you’re a recent graduate or you’ve been working for a while, we’d love to hear from you. Give your accountancy career the head start it deserves. To find out more, and to apply online, head to www.bakertilly.co.uk/trainees

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3RD

88.6%

LEVEL 2 & 3*

—

WINNER

Intermediate Apprenticeship**

—

Best Level of Support - Level 4 or above

Advanced Apprenticeship**

—

WINNER

Overall Ranking

BDO is about exceptional client service. BDO combine nationwide presence with local expertise with 21 regional offices across the British Isles. BDO’s international network is also the world’s fifth largest, with 1,200 offices in 144 countries. BDO will encourage you to find your specialist area. Choices include audit, tax advice, corporate finance work, business restructuring, forensic accounting, consulting, and specialist work for the financial services sector. BDO provide the training you need to attain a professional qualification, along with practical experience that includes client work. They offer constant support and all adds up to a colourful world of choice.

Key Statistics No. of Employees:

Overall Score

Best Training - Level 4 or above

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

4TH

88.6%

—

2ND

88.6%

—

Higher Apprenticeship** School Leaver Programme Sponsored Degree**

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23.

Best School Leaver Programme

FINALST x4 Find out more online — see URL below

Best for... Skills Development 95%

Programmes Available School Leaver Opportunities BDO offers a School Leaver Programme in four core areas of Audit, Tax, Advisory and Financial Services. The programme runs for five years, during which trainees will gain practical experience alongside working towards their CFAB (Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business) and ACA (Association of Chartered Accountants) Professional Qualifications through the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales).

Other Opportunities

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

Year 12 Summer School Programme

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

The Year 12 Summer School Programme runs for two weeks and aims to give high-calibre A-level students an insight into life and work at BDO. Successful candidates will gain not only practical work experience, but can also secure a place on BDO’s School Leaver Programme.

100

RUNNER UP

** BDO currently does not offer this type of programme.

3,500

Competitive

Awards

Training 94.4%

Level of Support 94.4%

Looking for... Candidate profile: BDO are looking for ambitious and driven students who are looking to work in a marketleading firm. They do not expect applicants to have relevant work experience but are looking for individuals with an interest in business, who thrive in a team environment and have excellent communication skills.

Locations Available:

21 locations across the UK

Insight Day

Entry Requirements:

BDO runs insight days at its offices across the UK. Dates and locations can be found on the ‘Meet our people’ section of the careers website.

Minimum grade B in Maths and English at GCSE and 280 UCAS points (or equivalent) at A-level. This excludes General Studies.

Social Media @BDO_TraineesUK

fb.me/BDOTraineesUK

Search “BDO UK LLP”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/bdo-llp

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CGI are the fifth largest IT services company in the world, with 68,000 professionals in 40 countries within 400 local offices. Formerly Logica, CGI are the people who sent the first text message and delivered the first 3G messaging platform. They provide service capabilities and expertise to clients across the Americas, Europe and the Asia Pacific.

Key Statistics

Programmes Available Sponsored Degree Programme CGI’s three-year Sponsored Degree Programme gives school leavers the opportunity to study towards a BA (Hons) in Business Management for IT or a BSc (Hons) Information Systems Management at the University of Winchester whilst also starting their careers at CGI. Students on the sponsored degree programme will also gain a Higher IT Apprenticeship accredited by QA alongside a starting salary of £13,000. Tuition fees will be covered by CGI.

Apprenticeships CGI offers one of the largest school leaver programmes in the UK with entry points at apprenticeship levels 2, 3 and 4. They last between one and two years during which apprentices will receive a permanent fulltime employment contract, structured training and hands-on learning.

No. of Employees: 68,000 worldwide

Starting Salary for School Leavers: £13,000

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

Looking for... School leavers who have the confidence, drive and resilience to work and learn at the same time.

Locations Available:

Reading or Leatherhead

Social Media @CGI_UK_Students

facebook.com/ cgisponsoreddegree Search “CGI”

Specific qualifications: For the BSc Sponsored Degree Programme, A-levels should include an IT related subject, unless the candidate can show strong IT/Computer Science ability through work experience or extra-curricular activities.

Entry Requirements: Sponsored Degree Programme: A completed Advanced IT Apprenticeship or at least 300 UCAS points across three A-levels at grade C or above, excluding General Studies (either predicted or obtained). Candidates must also have a minimum of five A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent). Advanced Apprenticeship Programme Minimum five A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent). Higher Apprenticeship Programme Minimum two C’s or above at A2 level (or equivalent), or a completed Level 3 IT Apprenticeship and Minimum five A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent).

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/cgi

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CGI School Leaver Programmes Choose to earn and develop your career with the world’s 5th largest independent IT services company Choose to learn and further your skills and education up to degree level Choose CGIs Higher Apprenticeship or Sponsored Degree Programme As school leavers, join our 24 month Higher IT Apprenticeship Programme or our 3 year Sponsored Degree Programme in Business or IT and you’ll start developing your career with a permanent full time contract, earning a competitive salary and furthering your education up to degree level. We’ll cover all training and tuition fees and give you all the support you need to succeed.

CGI UK Students

@CGI_UK_Students

www.cgi-group.co.uk/careers l ukstudents@cgi.com

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29TH 79.1%

Deloitte is the world’s largest professional services firm, offering expertise in Audit, Tax, Consulting, Corporate Finance and Technology. Their clients include some of the greatest names in the world of business, from small businesses and high net worth individuals to government departments and major multinational corporations.

Overall Ranking

Overall Score

Awards

LEVEL 2 & 3*

—

FINALIST

Intermediate Apprenticeship**

—

Best School & College Leaver Recruitment Website

Advanced Apprenticeship**

—

20TH

79.1%

Higher Apprenticeship**

—

School Leaver Programme

9TH

79.1%

Sponsored Degree**

—

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

Best for... Skills Development 92.9%

Training 88%

Team Relationship

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23.

87.3%

** Deloitte currently does not offer this type of programme.

Key Statistics

Programmes Available

No. of Employees: 14,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers: Competitive

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 150+

School Leaver Opportunities Deloitte’s school leaver programme, named BrightStart, is a structured business and finance programme which runs for a duration of five years. BrightStart gives school leavers the opportunity to work on projects in one of Deloitte’s teams, whilst studying towards an accredited qualification.

Looking for... Candidate profile: Deloitte is looking for school leavers who have excellent interpersonal skills and, above all, a real interest in business.

Locations Available:

23 offices across the UK

Specific qualifications:

Other Opportunities Deloitte Discovery for Schools

Social Media @DeloitteJobsUK @DeloitteSchools

Deloitte runs an interactive half-day event, during which Year 12 and Year 13 students can gain an insight into the firm and its school leaver opportunities. Students will also receive invaluable tips and hints on how to handle the recruitment process.

facebook.com/ yourfutureatdeloitteuk

N/A

Entry Requirements: Minimum 300 UCAS points at A-level as well as grade B in GCSE Maths and grade C in GCSE English (or equivalent).

Search “Deloitte UK”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/deloitte-llp

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2ND

89.1%

LEVEL 2 & 3*

—

Intermediate Apprenticeship**

—

Advanced Apprenticeship**

—

3RD

89.1%

Higher Apprenticeship**

—

School Leaver Programme

1ST

89.2%

Sponsored Degree

1ST

89%

Overall Ranking

If you want a career in business, EY will get you off to the best possible start. As one of the world’s leading professional services firms, EY know successful businesses mean successful economies. EY harness the creativity and ingenuity of 190,000 people worldwide to make their global clients the best they can be. Whether you’re helping clients grow, transform, pay the right amount of tax or build a reputation people trust, you’ll be improving the world we live in and your own career prospects.

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

Overall Score

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23. ** EY currently does not offer this type of programme.

No. of Employees:

School Leaver Opportunities

19,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

EY School Leaver Programme

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 100

Locations Available:

20 locations across the UK

Social Media @EY_SchoolsUK

facebook.com/EYUKcareers

Search “EY”

Best School Leaver Programme

WINNER Best Sponsored Degree

WINNER Best Use of Social Media in a School & College Leaver Recruitment Campaign

RUNNER UP Best Training - Level 4 or above

RUNNER UP Top Employer for School & College Leavers 2014-15

Find out more online — see URL below

EY’s School Leaver and University Programmes will help you follow a career route that fits with your own interests and aspirations.

Competitive

WINNER

FINALIST x3

Programmes Available Key Statistics

Awards

Want a business career while avoiding student debt? On this programme, you’ll earn and gain the same qualification as a graduate.

EY Degree You’ll study for a degree in accountancy and finance, with paid placements and bursaries. EY could then offer you a full-time job.

EY Scholarship Ideal if you know you want a career in business, plus paid work placements and bursaries. EY could offer you a place on the Advisory graduate programme.

Other Opportunities EY Skills Academy A course for Year 12 students that features exercises on business skills, what EY needs from you and the chance to meet EY employees.

EY Insight During open evenings for students in Year 11-13 (4th-6th year in Scotland), you’ll learn how to use your strengths and make a successful application and get a feel for life in a leading global business.

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/ey

Best for... Skills Development 96.4%

Level of Responsibility 95%

Company Culture 94.7%

Looking for... Candidate profile: People with the energy, enthusiasm, courage to lead and an interest in business. You must be good at working in teams and keen to get involved in the EY community.

Entry Requirements: A minimum of a Grade B in GSCE Maths and English Language and predicted BBB in A-levels, or equivalent (not including General Studies or A2 resits). To secure a place on the EY Scholarship, one of our University Programmes, you must gain your predicted A Level results and a place at university.

Advisory | Assurance | Corporate Finance | Tax

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Fieldfisher is a law firm, with offices across the UK and Europe and clients from around the globe. The firm prides itself on being truly entrepreneurial, with a focus on companies driven by technology and innovation. Clients include eBay, Google, Facebook, BP, BBC, J.P. Morgan and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Key Statistics No. of Employees: 700+

Starting Salary for School Leavers: £16,000

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

Programmes Available School leaver opportunities Fieldfisher’s Step2Success programme gives school leavers the opportunity to become fully qualified lawyers through the Chartered Legal Executive route. The programme runs for five years and students are guaranteed permanent employment on completion of their CILEx Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice.

Looking for... Fieldfisher are looking for school leavers who are dedicated to a career in law, but who also have interests, experiences and life outside of their career ambitions. They must also have excellent communication, organisational and team work skills.

Specific qualifications: N/A

Locations Available: London, Manchester

Entry Requirements: BCC at A-level (or equivalent)

Social Media @Fieldfisher

Search “Fieldfisher”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/fieldfisher

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LEGAL SCHOOL LEAVER PROGRAMME Length of Programme – 5 years Entry Requirements – BCC at A level (or equivalent) Qualification Gained – Qualified Lawyer via the Legal Executive route Starting Salary - £16,000 Closing Date – April 2015

We are looking for post A level students to join us on our Step2Success programme in September 2015, with a view to qualifying as a lawyer just 5 years after starting with us. Instead of building up thousands of pounds of debt at university, you will be building up your career in a top city law firm, earning, learning and developing essential business skills.

What we offer

What we are looking for

•

Permanent employment – unlike some placements, you will join us on a permanent contract. We want you to enjoy a long career with us.

•

Sponsorship of CILEX qualifications and time off for study leave.

•

Continuous learning and development in a supportive environment surrounded by leading lawyers and exciting clients (like eBay. Google. Facebook. BP. BBC. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office. J.P Morgan).

•

It goes without saying that we need our future lawyers to have great communication, organisational and team working skills. We want our school leavers to be dedicated to a career in law and have a desire to build a successful career, however, we don’t believe in developing legal clones; the people who do best here have interests, experiences and a life outside the office. We are currently recruiting for students to start with us in September 2015.

•

A career route starting as a Legal Administrator then progressing through the programme to Legal Assistant, Legal Officer and Legal Executive.

•

We have a range of sports teams, clubs, committees and socials to ensure you have fun along the way. AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

www.careers.fieldfisher.com 71

Gist is a supply chain company with over 3,000 customers, which cover a wide range of commercial and industrial sectors, including some of the biggest names in food retail such as Marks & Spencer Food, Dairy Crest, Starbucks and Eat.

Key Statistics No. of Employees: 7,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

£6+ per hour, dependent on location

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

Programmes Available Gist offer two structured apprenticeship schemes that combine on-the-job learning with a qualification to help you to progress and develop within a fast paced and dynamic environment.

Warehouse Operations Apprenticeship Scheme During this three year scheme, you will work within one of Gist’s distribution centers. In your first year you will learn through hands-on experience of the intake and picking of goods ready to deliver to store, coupled with a BTEC qualification in Logistics at Level 2. You will also gain exposure to the sites Transport and Administration functions to understand how a distribution centre operates to keep goods moving for our customers. Years two and three move you on towards team management opportunities where you will find yourself managing small teams of warehouse operatives, delivering briefings and monitoring performance. Your structured development will include management training, delivered in-house, alongside a BTEC Level 3 qualification in Logistics. By the end of the scheme, you will be working towards the opportunity to take on a Team Manager role.

Network Planning Apprenticeship Scheme

Locations Available:

During this two year scheme, you will gain practical experience focused on planning the movement of our customer’s products around the UK and continental Europe, through our transport network and fleet of over 2000 vehicles, whilst also studying for a BTEC Level 2 in Business Administration. In your second year, you will focus further on developing your skillset as a Network Planner in addition to studying for a BTEC Level 3 in Logistics.

Barnsley, Crewe, Spalding, Hemel, Faversham, Thatcham, Bristol and Portbury (Warehouse Operations Scheme) and Basingstoke, Hampshire (Network Planning Scheme)

Looking for...

Social Media @Gist_World

Gist are looking for school leavers with plenty of drive, enthusiasm and leadership potential.

facebook.com/Gist. FutureBusinessLogistics

Specific qualifications:

Search “Gist - Future Business Logistics”

A full driving license is required within three months of starting.

Entry Requirements: A*-D grade in GCSE English Language and Maths (or equivalent).

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/gist

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Gist Ad

73 FUTURE BUSINESS LOGISTICS

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Hill Dickinson is an awardwinning, full service international law firm covering all areas of law and working across numerous sectors including insurance, retail and sport media. With around 1300 people, including 180 partners, they have offices in London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Sheffield in the UK, alongside international bases in Singapore, Piraeus, Monaco and Hong Kong.

Key Statistics

Programmes Available School leaver opportunities Hill Dickinson is an ambitious, innovative and international law firm. Their legal apprenticeship programme is a real alternative to starting a career in law. The programme is designed to develop business skills while completing formal training and studying towards CILEx qualifications. It is a two year structured training programme based in the Liverpool office. Students join as a trainee paralegal, before completing a nationally recognised CILEx Level 3 Qualification - the first step in becoming a qualified lawyer or legal executive. Hill Dickinson hopes that legal apprentices will be playing a key role in the future of the firm, as they continue to innovate our approach to delivering first-class legal services. With support throughout, Hill Dickinson help students learn and develop specialist skills that are highly valued in the industry.

No. of Employees: 1,300

Starting Salary for School Leavers: ÂŁ230 per week

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 6

Locations Available:

Looking for... Candidates must have a strong interest in the legal industry and business world, alongside the drive and commitment to work whilst studying. You must be a good communicator with strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Liverpool/Manchester

Specific qualifications: N/A

Social Media @HDapprentices

Entry Requirements: Minimum BBB at A-level (or equivalent).

facebook.com/HillDickinson

Search â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hill Dickinson LLPâ&#x20AC;?

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/hill-dickinson

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33RD 78.4%

For over 100 years, IBM has been at the forefront of technology creating innovative solutions and products that have changed the world. Working with IBM, students will have unmatched opportunities to do meaningful work such as helping doctors develop more effective treatments for cancer, improving energy production, easing traffic congestion and finding smarter ways to manage the world’s water supply. IBM offer two fantastic opportunities for school leavers, an Apprenticeship Scheme and a year long Gap Year Programme.

LEVEL 2 & 3*

Overall Ranking

Overall Score

21ST

78.4%

—

17TH

78.4%

Intermediate Apprenticeship** Advanced Apprenticeship

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

—

Higher Apprenticeship**

—

School Leaver Programme**

—

Sponsored Degree

—

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23. ** IBM currently does not offer this type of programme.

Awards WINNER Best School & College Leaver Recruitment Website

RUNNER UP Best Use of Social Media in a School & College Leaver Recruitment Campaign

Best for... Team Relationships 84.5%

Skills Development 83.3%

Level of Responsibility

Programmes Available

81.8%

Advanced Apprenticeship

Key Statistics No. of Employees:

There are two apprenticeships offered at IBM: Business and Technical. The Apprenticeships last for three years and include brilliant training and a fantastic learning experience.

Looking for...

Gap year programme

A flexible attitude to travelling the country and ready to experience all IBM has to offer.

500,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers: £15,000

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

80 apprentices and 30 Gap Year Students per year

Locations Available: Across the UK

The IBM Gap Year programme is ideal for students wishing to take a year out before university. It’s an invaluable opportunity to work with a world-leading company, broaden horizons and provide a head start in your career. It will be a challenging and fun year which will give you twelve months to start building for the future and help you to maximise employability. Students will learn from experienced professionals in any area across the company from business to technology. Upon finishing students can apply for the IBM Apprenticeship scheme, or go to university and consider IBM’s Graduate Programme in the future.

Candidate profile:

Specific qualifications: N/A

Entry Requirements: Five GCSEs including Maths and English at A* to C grade and 160 obtained or predicted UCAS points.

Social Media @IBMUKcareers

facebook.com/ IBMUKCareers “IBM Careers”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/ibm

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

your future

made with IBM

For over 100 years, IBM has been creating innovative solutions and products that have not only transformed business but the world. This is your chance to start your career in a company at the forefront of technology where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have unmatched opportunities to do meaningful work. We offer two fantastic opportunities for school leavers, our 3 year award winning apprenticeship scheme and our 12 month Gap Year programme. So join us and see what you could make with IBM ibm.com/jobs/uk

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

1ST

89.7%

LEVEL 2 & 3*

1ST

91.2%

Intermediate Apprenticeship**

—

Advanced Apprenticeship

1ST

91.2%

Overall Ranking

Jaguar Land Rover’s Apprenticeship Scheme is recognised as one of the best. They offer ambitious apprentices the chance to learn and develop whilst gaining commercial experience and recognised qualifications. Learning from the best and working on projects that will have a impact on Jaguar Land Rover’s global success, our Apprenticeship Schemes reward your ambition, develop your excellence and help you build an impressive career. Jaguar Land Rover offer unrivalled training, support and the chance to impact our future success.

Key Statistics No. of Employees: 19,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

Advanced Apprenticeship £217 per week, Higher Apprenticeship £17,255 per year

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 100

Overall Score

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

5TH

88.2%

Higher Apprenticeship

3RD

88.2%

School Leaver Programme**

—

Sponsored Degree**

—

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23.

Social Media @JLRCareers

facebook.com/ JaguarLandRoverCareers Search “Jaguar Land Rover Careers”

WINNER Top Employer for School & College Leavers 2014-15

WINNER Top Employer for School & College Leavers 2014-15 - Level 2 or 3

WINNER Best Advanced Apprenticeship

RUNNER UP x3 & FINALIST x3 Find out more online — see URL below

Best for...

** Jaguar Land Rover currently does not offer this type of programme.

Skills Development 93.7%

Programmes Available Advanced Pathway Apprenticeships Advanced apprentices start at college, learning engineering basics. Hands on experience in automotive, maintenance, manufacturing support and the tool room then begins at a vehicle workshop or manufacturing plant. During second year college studies continue on a day release basis. All course and tuition fees are paid for by the company with candidates gaining NVQ2 and 3 qualifications.

Confidence 93.4%

Team Relationship 92.2%

Looking for... Candidate profile:

Higher Pathway Apprenticeships Higher apprentices spend their first year at college studying engineering fundamentals before gaining hands on experience in finance, purchasing, design, programmes & engineering, manufacturing engineering and product supervision. Second year students continue college on a dayrelease basis and in later years attend the University of Warwick on a block-release basis. Apprentices can qualify for certificates such as NVQ2, 3 and 4 and work towards a BEng degree in Applied Engineering. All course and tuition fees are paid for.

Locations Available:

Merseyside, Wolverhampton, Leamington Spa, Warwick and the West Midlands.

Awards

Entry Requirements: Advanced Apprenticeship Five GCSEs at grade C or above, including Maths and English, plus a Science, Technology or Engineering related subject – or a BTEC level 3 (60 credits +) or equivalent in a relevant Engineering or Technology discipline. Higher Apprenticeship Five GCSEs at grade C or above, including Maths and English, plus a Science, Technology or Engineering related subject – or a BTEC level 3 (60 credits +) or equivalent in a relevant Engineering or Technology discipline. Two A-levels at grade C or above in both a Mathematical subject and a Science, Technology or Engineering related subject – or a BTEC Level 3 (120 credits +) or equivalent in an Engineering or Technology related discipline.

Jaguar Land Rover’s schemes are for people with a passion for learning. They are for people determined to succeed, who will make the most of the training and qualifications.

Specific qualifications: Advanced Apprenticeship candidates need GCSE grade C or above in a Science, Technology or Engineering related subject, or a BTEC Level 3 or equivalent in a relevant or Engineering or Technology discipline. Higher Apprenticeship, candidates need A-level grade C or above in a Mathematical subject and a Science, Technology or Engineering related subject.

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/jaguar-land-rover

IT ALL STARTS HERE Take your ﬁrst steps on the road to an impressive career with Jaguar Land Rover Our award-winning Apprenticeship Schemes are for people with a passion for learning. Ambitious, imaginative and hard working individuals who are determined to succeed. People who will make the most of the opportunities we offer, and are ready to help produce some of the world’s most desired vehicles.

Applications are open from 3rd November 2014 to 31st January 2015

JAGUARLANDROVERCAREERS.COM

JLRapprenticeships

1ST

TOP EMPLOYER

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

15TH 84.8%

Mazars is an international, integrated and independent organisation, specialising in audit, accountancy, tax, legal and advisory services. They are ranked as the eighth largest UK partnership by audit fee income and one of Europe’s largest accounting firms with a huge global presence, operating in 72 countries with 250 offices worldwide. Mazars training schemes offer leading qualifications and supported exam providing students with a first-class business qualification.

Overall Ranking

Overall Score

LEVEL 2 & 3*

—

Intermediate Apprenticeship**

—

Advanced Apprenticeship**

—

13TH

84.8%

Higher Apprenticeship**

—

School Leaver Programme

6TH

84.8%

Sponsored Degree**

—

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

Best for...

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23. ** Mazars currently does not offer this type of programme.

Programmes Available Key Statistics

Smart Start Training Scheme

No. of Employees: 1,350

Starting Salary for School Leavers: Competitive

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: Approx. 33 roles

Locations Available:

Students can train to become an Audit, Tax, Financial Planning or Outsourcing professional. With a full study package and time off to attend college, Mazars support trainees with a blended approach to training and development. Classroom study, 1:1 coaching and support, and technical and skills training enable students to progress to management and leadership positions. All training schemes offer leading qualifications and supported exam training, with the opportunity to gain a professional qualification (AAT or ATT) whilst earning a competitive salary and gaining invaluable experience.

Working Environment 92.4%

Team Relationship 91.6%

Level of Responsibility 88.5%

Looking for... Candidate profile: Mazars desire driven professional individuals who excel at working with others, have the ability to communicate at a high level and share the same values as Mazars. Alongside this, students must be able to demonstrate analytical skills, commitment, drive, commercial awareness, flexibility and creativity.

Specific qualifications: N/A

Entry Requirements:

Nationwide

At least 280 UCAS points (to have achieved in the same academic year, from your best 3 A-levels and excluding General Studies).

Social Media @Mazars_UK

Grade B or above in GCSE English Language and Maths.

facebook.com/MazarsUK

If there were extenuating circumstances that affected your result(s), tell Mazars in your application form so they can consider whether to take them into account.

Search “Mazars UK”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/mazars

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS…

… DESTINATION SUCCESS

Mazars is not only ranked as the eighth largest UK partnership by audit fee income, but we are also one of Europe’s largest accounting firms with a huge global presence. Mazars offers a variety of finance and accountancy training schemes leading to first-class business qualifications. We remain faithful to our values and we recruit the best talent. Interested in making your career an adventure? Find out more at https://twitter.com/Mazars_UKCareer https://www.facebook.com/MazarsUK https://www.linkedin.com/company/Mazars-UK

www.schoolleavers.mazars.co.uk

The NAO is an independent public body that helps Parliament hold government to account for how tax payers’ money is spent. They provide assurance to Parliament through their audit work and add value to government by supporting its drive to improve public services. The NAO’s vision is to “help the nation spend wisely.”

Key Statistics No. of Employees:

Programmes Available School Leavers Scheme NAO School Leaver Trainees spend their first two years studying for the Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB). After successful completing CFAB, they’ll then spend a further three years studying to become a fully qualified Chartered Accountant through the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA). It’s an opportunity that allows candidates to gain an internationally recognized professional accountancy qualification without the debt of university. Being a trainee at the NAO provides unique access to people, places and experiences that you would not get working anywhere else. The perspective the NAO has across the public sector landscape is unique, as is the impact they have, the assurance they provide to Parliament and the taxpayer, and the positive difference their work makes to vital public services.

800

Starting Salary for School Leavers: £22,497 (London) £17,143 (Newcastle)

Looking for...

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

There is certainly no such thing as a typical NAO school leaver trainee. Successful candidates come from a diverse range of backgrounds and may have studied any A-level subjects (or equivalent). Applicants don’t need to have studied Maths or a Finance related A-level to succeed on the scheme. There are, however, some minimum criteria applicants will need to meet and there are some key competencies that NAO look for, which can be found on their website.

Locations Available: London, Newcastle

Social Media

Specific qualifications:

@NAOorguk

N/A

facebook.com/NAOorguk

Entry Requirements:

Search “UK National Audit Office”

300 UCAS points or equivalent (from your top three A-levels) and five GCSEs A*-C including Maths and English. You’ll also need to comply with the civil service nationality requirements (UK, EEA or Commonwealth national with the right to work in the UK).

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/national-audit-office-nao

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35TH 77.4%

The National Grid is one of the world’s largest investor owned energy companies, providing both electricity and gas services. In the UK they deliver energy to millions of people and have done since 1990, when the National Grid was handed over responsibility for the electricity transmission in England and Wales from the government.

Overall Ranking

Overall Score

Awards

15TH

82.2%

FINALIST

—

Advanced Apprenticeship

11TH

82.2%

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

26TH

72.5%

Higher Apprenticeship**

—

School Leaver Programme**

—

Sponsored Degree

6TH

72.5%

LEVEL 2 & 3* Intermediate Apprenticeship**

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23. ** National Grid currently does not offer this type of programme.

School or College Leaver of the Year - Sam Smith

Best for... Team Relationship 84%

Skills Development 81%

Job Satisfaction 80.2%

Key Statistics

Programmes Available

No. of Employees: 22,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

Apprenticeships – £14,950 School Leavers – £23,500

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 130

Engineer Training Programme An ‘earn while you learn’ alternative to university, this programme offers students a permanent position upon satisfactory completion of their training. Running over two or three years, the training blends fully funded university study with practical training at local sites or facilities. Perks of the course include a car to support with the travel required for training.

Location Available: Nationwide

Other Opportunities

Looking for... Candidate profile: Ideal student leaver candidates will be team players, effective planners, enthusiastic, skilled in time management and have business awareness. Apprentices should have a real passion and interest in engineering with a hard working attitude.

Specific qualifications: Advanced Apprenticeship Programme

Social Media @nationalgriduk

facebook.com/nationalgrid

This programme runs over two to four years and ensures permanent positions to all candidates successfully completing their training. Students are trained to professional technician status, with an NVQ Level 3 qualification. Training consists of a blend of practical and formal training around the country, with a choice from six different courses; substations, overhead lines, gas operations, emergency response, pressure control and storage and electrical and instrumentation.

Search “National Grid”

School leavers must have two A-levels at grades A to C or equivalent qualifications.

Entry Requirements: Apprentices must hold five GCSEs at grades A to C or a higher level Engineering Diploma.

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/national-grid

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LIKE US ON FACEBOOK ...for the latest jobs, news & LOLs facebook.com/AllAboutSchoolLeavers

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

4TH

88.2%

2ND

88.2%

Intermediate Apprenticeship**

—

Advanced Apprenticeship

—

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*/**

—

Overall Ranking

Nomura is an Asia-based financial services group with an integrated global network spanning over 30 countries. By connecting markets East & West, Nomura services the needs of individuals, institutions, corporates and governments through its three business divisions: Retail, Asset Management, and Wholesale (Global Markets and Investment Banking). Founded in 1925, the firm is built on a tradition of disciplined entrepreneurship, serving clients with creative solutions and considered thought leadership.

LEVEL 2 & 3*

Overall Score

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23. ** Nomura currently does not offer this type of programme.

Awards WINNER Best Training - Level 2 or 3

WINNER Best Level of Support - Level 2 or 3

RUNNER UP Top Employer for School & College Leavers 2014-15 - Level 2 or 3

RUNNER UP Best for Career Progression Level 2 or 3

FINALIST

Programmes Available Human Resources Apprenticeship Programme Human resources apprentices will get involved with recruitment, payroll, learning and development, employee training and development programmes and a range of advisory services.

Top Employer for School & College Leavers 2014-15

Best for... Company Culture 97.6%

Key Statistics

Multimedia Apprenticeship Programme

No. of Employees: 28,000 worldwide

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

Working Environment 93.7%

This role will provide a solid background in creating, operating and servicing Audio Visual technologies in line with the InfoComm AV Certified Technologies Specialist (CTS) accreditation. The role will expose the candidate to industry standard Video Conferencing solutions, with an overview of Broadcast Hardware and Film Editing Software.

Training 93.2%

Competitive

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 20 (total, varies by division)

Locations Available: London

Operations Apprenticeship Programme The Operations team develop efficient approaches to our clients’ needs. You will work towards your Level 3 Investment Operations qualification. Apprentices will be involved in processing, controlling, confirming and settling transactions, researching and troubleshooting problems and assisting with client service initiatives.

Real Estate & Services Apprenticeship Programme

Social Media Search “Nomura International plc”

This role provides support and assistance in delivering environmental services. You will be involved in maintaining the company environmental management system, monitoring legislative changes and providing briefings and actions.

Looking for... Candidate profile: Candidates should have a keen interest in the area they wish to apply to and have good communication skills and commitment to the programme.

Technology Apprenticeship Programme Technology apprentices spend time gaining an NVQ qualification. Apprentices have their own personal development plan and support and encouragement from line managers, buddies, mentors and the rest of the team. We offer roles within Development, Support and Infrastructure.

Specific qualifications: N/A

Entry Requirements: On course to achieve A to C grades at A-level with a minimum grade C in Maths and English.

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/deloitte-llp

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Make an impression Build your investment banking career at Nomura Uncover the spirit of a business with deep experience in building financial markets since 1925. With a global network spanning over 30 countries, we’re able to connect our retail, asset management and wholesale clients to opportunities – wherever they are. We are now looking for the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders to join our highly nimble and diverse workforce. If you want to make an impression and build a long term career in investment banking, come and discover more about Nomura. This could be a perfect fit for you.

To find out more and apply, visit www.nomura.com/careers

© Nomura International plc 2014. Nomura is the global marketing name of Nomura Holdings, Inc. (Tokyo) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries worldwide including Nomura International (Hong Kong) Limited, licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, Nomura Securities International, Inc (New York), a member of FINRA, NYSE and SIPC and Nomura International plc (London), authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority and member of the London Stock Exchange. This is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell securities. AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees 87

32ND 78.7%

Pret opened in London in 1986. College friends, Sinclair and Julian, made proper sandwiches avoiding the obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives. There are about 335 Pret shops worldwide at the moment, mostly in the UK.

Key Statistics

Overall Ranking

Overall Score

19TH

78.7%

—

16TH

78.7%

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

—

Higher Apprenticeship**

—

School Leaver Programme**

—

Sponsored Degree**

—

LEVEL 2 & 3* Intermediate Apprenticeship** Advanced Apprenticeship

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23.

No. of Employees:

** Pret A Manger currently does not offer this type of programme.

Awards WINNER School or College Leaver of the Year - Melissa Calleja

Best for... Confidence 88.5%

Skills Development 85%

Team Relationship 83.7%

Approximately 8,500

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

£6.80 per hour (+£1 per hour bonus) in Central London, £6.60 (+£1 per hour bonus) rest of the UK

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 30

Locations Available: Across the UK

Social Media

Programmes Available

Looking for...

School Leaver Opportunities

Candidate profile:

The Pret School Leavers Programme provides students with the opportunity to start climbing the career ladder straight away. Students start work in a Pret A Manger shop for 35 hours per week over the one year programme. The Pret team support with the skills they need to be a success in the world of work; how fast and where to the apprentice progresses is up to them. Training courses are run by the Pret academy and students will achieve an Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship qualification. Apprentices also receive 28 days holiday, paid breaks, free food and a 50% discount.

Applicants should be sociable, enthusiastic and passionate about natural fresh food. A desire to build a career in retail is a must without fear of early mornings and hard work!

Specific qualifications: N/A

@Pret_UK

facebook.com/pretamanger

Entry Requirements:

Search “Pret A Manger”

Maths and English GCSE at A* to C grade

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/pret-a-manger

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

5TH

87.5%

LEVEL 2 & 3*

—

Intermediate Apprenticeship**

—

Advanced Apprenticeship**

—

LEVEL 4 & ABOVE*

6TH

87.5%

Higher Apprenticeship

4TH

88.7%

School Leaver Programme**

—

Sponsored Degree

3RD

87.4%

Overall Ranking

PwC are the world’s leading professional services network. They have over 150 years of history in their international network, employ over 180,000 people and operate in 158 countries. If you’re serious about a career in business, they can give you the best possible start. They tackle lots of different issues for loads of different organisations, entrepreneurs and private businesses. PwC help with big deals and big changes to structures and businesses.

Overall Score

* For more information about Level 2 & 3 and Level 4 & above, see page 18-23.

Programmes Available

No. of Employees:

Flying Start Degree Programme

Starting Salary for School Leavers: Competitive

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

If you want to go to university but also know you’re interested in accountancy, the PwC Flying Start Degree Programme offers the best of both worlds. On the four-year course you’ll gain a degree, complete most of the ICAEW exams and could secure a graduate job with PwC – all while still at university. You can join the Degree Programme at Newcastle University, Henley Business School (University of Reading) or The University of Nottingham.

300

Locations Available: UK-wide

@PwCUK

facebook.com/ PwCCareersUK

Find out more online — see URL below

Best for... Working Environment 93.8%

Confidence 93.2%

Team Relationship 91.4%

Looking for... Candidate profile: Intellect, willingness to learn, ability to build relationships and put yourself in others’ shoes.

Specific qualifications: N/A

Other Opportunities School and College leaver programmes

Social Media

FINALIST x6

** PwC currently does not offer this type of programme.

Key Statistics

180,000

Awards

You can start work straight out of school or college on one of PwC’s School and College leaver programmes. You’ll earn a competitive salary while you study towards a professional qualification designed by employers and professional bodies from across the sector. Just like PwC’s graduate joiners, you’ll work on client or internal projects, learn on-the-job and build the in-depth knowledge you need to progress through their business.

Entry Requirements: From a 240 UCAS tariff

Search “PwC”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/pwc

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

The experience stays with you

Lucy on client site with the National Trust

Business Insight Week Career Open Days Open Evenings Virtual Events Flying Start degree programmes School and College leaver careers From a 240 UCAS tariff Voted employer of choice by students in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers survey for eleven years running.

School and College Leaver Opportunities Offices across the UK » Join summer or autumn 2015 Traditionally, there has only been one story when school comes to an end. University. Degree. Career. But things have changed. With PwC, there are now many professional opportunities for high achievers straight out of school. So your story can go anywhere. You might start by joining us on our Business Insight Week while you’re still at school to find out what it’s like to work at PwC. If you can’t join us for a full week, you could attend one of our Career Open Days or Open Evenings. You’ll find out more about joining us straight from school on our Flying Start degree programme, where you’ll get paid work placements alongside a traditional university experience, or on our School and College leaver programme, which fast-tracks your career by combining real paid work with study towards a professional qualification. Do well in any of these opportunities, and you could get a job offer. Just like Lucy. She took the opportunity to join PwC straight after her A-levels. And now she owns her own flat and is a qualified Chartered Accountant managing her own prestigious clients.

Diverse people make us stronger

Almost 25 years ago, Sky started out as a satellite TV broadcaster. Through imagination, innovation and with customers at the heart of everything it does, Sky now leads the industry, combining award-winning technology and the best entertainment to excite and inspire over 11 million customers.

Key Statistics No. of Employees:

Programmes Available School Leaver Opportunities As a Sky Apprentice, you’ll have the chance to gain a nationally recognised qualification and a permanent position while working alongside acclaimed professionals. Paid apprenticeships vary in length depending on the programme you apply for, but every scheme will give you the opportunity to learn from the best. You’ll discover exactly what it takes to succeed, with the support to reach your full potential in a leading entertainment company. You will be assigned a buddy and have the full support of your manager as well as the opportunity to take part in a bespoke training plan to develop and build on your existing skills. In addition to apprenticeships, Sky also have a variety of 1-2 week work experience opportunities that are available throughout the year. For more details and to apply, visit skystartingout.com.

25,000

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

£15,600 per annum (salary varies for customer service roles)

No. of School Leaver Vacancies:

circa 150 apprenticeship vacancies (including customer service roles). Sky also have a variety of work experience opportunities available throughout the year.

Locations Available:

Looking for... Generally candidates should have a passion for Sky and a real interest in the area they are applying to. They will be good communicators, able to work under pressure and juggle multiple tasks. Sky look for enthusiasm, a positive attitude and an inquisitive mind.

Specific qualifications:

West London, East London, Scotland, Leeds (customer service roles UK-wide).

Journalism – minimum of five GCSEs A*-C (including a minimum grade B in English Language), plus a minimum of two A Level grades from A*-C, or a BTEC Diploma (merit or distinction) in a relevant subject (achieved by September 2015).

Social Media

Entry Requirements:

@SkyStartingOut

facebook.com/ skystartingout

Opportunities are available for candidates aged 16 and above. As a minimum, they need to have achieved five GCSEs A*-C or the Scottish equivalent (including Maths and English). For some programmes, A-levels or Highers are essential e.g. Journalism Apprenticeship.

linkedin.com/company/ sky

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/bskyb

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Smith & Williamson are one of the largest accountancy firms in the UK and have been providing independent, first-class financial advice to clients for over 100 years. They specialise in investment management, financial advisory and accountancy services as well as private banking.

Key Statistics No. of Employees: 1,500

Programmes Available Higher Apprenticeship Programme Smith and Williamson Higher Apprenticeships in Accountancy and Tax pay students a full-time salary whilst supporting them towards a professional Level 5 qualification and providing hands on experience, doing real work for real clients with real responsibility. Apprentices work towards obtaining either the Certificate of Finance and Business (CFAB) or Associate Tax Technician (ATT). Smith & Williamson will provide full support throughout the apprenticeship, including ongoing in-house training, appraisals, and mentoring. Upon successful completion of the CFAB or ATT qualification and positive performance appraisals, students will have the opportunity to qualify as either a Chartered Accountant (ACA) or Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA). Both are renowned as one of the most advanced learning and professional development programmes available.

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

Competitive + benefits

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: Around 15

Locations Available:

Looking for... School leavers looking for an alternative to university

Across the UK

Specific qualifications: N/A

Social Media @SmithWilliamson

Search â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smith & Williamsonâ&#x20AC;?

Entry Requirements: 280 UCAS points (or equivalent) in your top three A-levels (excluding General Studies). GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent) at a minimum of grade B.

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/smith-williamson

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Imagine yourself working in a company that really believes that people are its driving force, fostering a culture of energy, passion and respect for the individual. The Volvo Group is a global leader in sustainable transport solutions with production and sales worldwide. A place where your voice is heard and your ideas matter.

Key Statistics No. of Employees:

Programmes Available School Leavers Opportunties The Volvo Group’s technical apprentice scheme is four years long (includes one year improver year) with the aftersales/parts apprenticeship being two years long. All apprentices are paid while they learn and will use the latest Volvo technology whilst being trained, and are trained by recent industry trained Volvo master technicians. On top of this, all apprentices will be assigned a mentor who will assist development and will help embed the knowledge learned from the training academy. The technical apprenticeship will see apprentices work towards a Level 3 Diploma in Heavy Vehicle Principles VRQ (Technical Certificate) and Level 3 Heavy Vehicle Competence QCF (Practical Competence). The parts apprenticeship will see apprentices work towards a Level 3 Diploma in Vehicle Parts Principles VRQ (Technical Certificate) and Level 3 Diploma in Vehicle Parts Competence QCF (Practical Competence).

1,118

Starting Salary for School Leavers:

East Anglia - £9,838 London - £10,649 North & Scotland £11,356

No. of School Leaver Vacancies: 16

Locations Available:

London, North and Scotland, East Anglia.

Looking for... Candidates should be willing to provide an excellent service to our customers, be able to respond to colleagues and work as part of a team and have a real interest in the retail motor industry.

Specific qualifications: N/A

Social Media

Entry Requirements:

@VolvoTrucksUK

Facebook.com/VolvoTrucks-UK

Candidates would ideally have grade C or above in GCSE maths, English and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) or the Scottish Certificate of Education at grade C or above. However, all applications will be considered.

Search “Volvo Trucks UK”

Find out more: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employers/profile/volvo

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Could you be the next apprentice? Volvo Truck and Bus Technical/Aftersales Apprenticeship Opportunities 2014 and beyond If you are aged 16 or over and are looking for an opportunity with great prospects, look no further. Volvo Trucks are industry leaders in their apprenticeship programmes and are looking to invest in their next apprentice. Volvo’s technician apprenticeship programme offers a complete training package which will equip you with essential skills for a head start in your career. You will become an important part of Volvo’s Dealer Network and will be responsible for driving and delivering Volvo’s high standards in quality and customer service. By the time you complete the course you will have gained a qualification and will have covered all aspects of truck and bus maintenance and repair – a great start to your career. For more information visit our website. For an application form please contact Bethany Francis on 08456 091 286 (UK only) / +44 1926 414 243 or email hrservices@volvo.com

www.volvotrucks.co.uk

Search: VolvoTrucksUK 53801

Volvo Trucks. Driving Progress

More copies? AllAboutSchoolLeavers Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees Incredibly, 44% of school and college students think that university is their only option.* That’s around one million young people at school leaving age. This guide will help your students to understand their options and make better decisions. * The School & College Leaver Careers Market 2014 - an annual research report produced by AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk and AllAboutResearch.co.uk

Thanks to our kind sponsors we’re able to subsidise the cost of our publication. Tens of thousands of pounds of sponsorship means we’re able to pass the savings onto you. We’ve managed to get £5 off each and every copy. Getting copies for you and your school couldn’t be easier.

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We’ve spent hundreds of hours producing this information, speaking with young people, school leaver employers and teachers and careers advisers like you to create the most comprehensive guide for young people to understand all of their options as a school leaver.

“I couldn’t believe the statistics. This guide has made a real difference to our students and has helped them understand their options.”

“I love the style and the tone. It really works well with young people and explains many of the concepts better than I could.”

“For us it’s about providing our learners with the best resources we can. This is a great publication and an excellent investment.” AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

Interesting factsâ&#x20AC;Ś 76%

35%

of school and college students plan to go to university.

of school and college students feel under pressure to go to university.

1 in 4

school and college students would like to do a sponsored degree.

According to a survey of more than 1,500 school and college students conducted by AllAboutSchoolLeavers. co.uk

45%

of school and college students think that university is their only genuine option.

38%

of school and college students considering doing an apprenticeship donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually know the difference between Intermediate, Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships.

66%

of school and college students would like to work in London.

AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees

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AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk Ultimate Guide to Apprenticeships, School Leaver Programmes & Sponsored Degrees