Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships offer a great way to acquire knowledge, and the vocational skills and experience needed to enter many careers. They enable you to earn while you learn without incurring student debts, as your training costs are funded by your employer and by the government.

There are many different apprenticeship schemes available across a wide spectrum of industries and professions, ranging from engineering and construction to accounting and nursing. Once accepted, you will be spending at least 50% of your time at work learning from work colleagues and gaining the necessary skills to help you progress, whilst also spending time attending college, university or other training provider as well as online studying.

In England and Wales, there are four levels of apprenticeships available, ranging from one year to five or six years to complete, with many employers offering the chance to progress through the levels. Apprenticeships will not be the right path for everybody to take as you’ll need to be committed in balancing your academic study with your work commitments. But if you have a clear idea of the career you wish to pursue, then an apprenticeship can provide you with practical on the job training and substantially boost your longer-term career prospects and earnings.

Apprenticeships are being developed and approved all the time, so you can choose the right training for you, you can think about the level and duration of the training and discuss your expectations with the training provider. Don’t accept an apprenticeship because it’s the only one available at the time.

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HOW WE’RE CREATING A WORKPLACE WHERE EVERYONE’S WELCOME AT COCA-COLA EUROPEAN PARTNERS

Julie Thomas, Director, Inclusion and Diversity at Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP)

The pandemic has impacted the way we live and work and at CocaCola European Partners (CCEP), we recognise this is an opportunity to assess how we’re faring as a business from an inclusion and diversity perspective, but also to identify how we can push ourselves further. We want to create a workplace where everyone’s welcome to be themselves, feels valued and that they belong. We believe that a diverse workforce is what creates truly great work.

Inclusion is about how we welcome and create a culture where everyone, whatever their background or experience, feels accepted and valued and can contribute to the success of the business. Diversity, on the other hand, is the mix of all the great things that make each of us unique, be it age, heritage, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability – the list goes on. People feel they belong more when we all value these differences.

To accelerate our Everyone’s Welcome philosophy, we are guided by four focus areas at CCEP:

1. PROMOTE ACCOUNTABILITY

Having a key sponsor is crucial to getting initiatives off the ground. An Executive Leadership Team member is a lead sponsor for each one of our diversity dimensions (Culture & Heritage, Disability, Gender, LGBT+ and Multi-Generations), who is committed to removing barriers to inclusion and diversity. Supported by fully representative groups from all levels of the company across Europe, they identify meaningful actions that reflect the experiences of our people to drive positive change across our business.

2. EMBED AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE

Collating feedback across all levels of the businesses is important in addressing issues and concerns across the spectrum. Our ‘In Your Shoes’ listening sessions are open to all, amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups in particular. Run by our I&D lead sponsors, the regular sessions seek to encourage participants to share their experiences in a safe environment, so that actions taken resonate and make a difference for everyone.

The programme also encourages everyone to share their personal stories and reflections, promote conversations and create confidence in a long and thriving career at CCEP, safe in the knowledge that the business values the strength that the uniqueness its people bring.

3. ESTABLISH DIVERSE LEADERSHIP AND PIPELINES

Diverse teams lead to more successful business outcomes. There’s a wealth of external research that demonstrates a clear link between diverse teams, improved wellbeing and greater performance. We also know that it’s important for people to ‘see’ themselves at every level of the company. We set an initial target to have 40% women in senior management and above roles by 2025 and we continue to improve on that target, at almost 36% currently, and we are exploring metrics for our other diversity dimensions.

We want to promote the free flow of talent and to do that we have introduced ‘Inclusion Nudges’. These are simple interventions that encourage managers to consider the bias that can playout during key career moments like talent discussions, interviews and performance reviews, and nudge them towards a more inclusive mindset. We believe changing these habits will have a profound impact.

4. BE DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

Creating open channels of communication is important to reach as many people as possible. Across CCEP, everyone knows they are responsible for upholding our inclusion and diversity philosophy. Our colleagues are empowered to educate, celebrate and inspire each other through the company-wide Redline channel, where real people share real news and experiences.

We have created Allyship Guides to support conversations on topics from race and ethnicity, to disability, as we know that collaboration and connection are core to a thriving and inclusive workplace.

Our Board and leadership team recognise that real inclusion means embracing and valuing everyone. This requires continued commitment and change across CCEP and this can be achieved by engaging all corners of the business. We can only be changemakers by taking every voice into account.

We spoke to three of CCEP’s current and former apprentices to hear about their experience of working at Coca-Cola European Partners. They have undertaken just some of the wide range of apprenticeships CCEP offers, bringing them a diverse range of opportunities within the company.

SAMAH RAFIQ, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION APPRENTICE, CCEP, 2019-PRESENT

“I joined the CCEP team in 2019. I really liked the idea of working whilst also gaining a qualification, as this would give me the best of both worlds. Having the opportunity to do six-month rotations in different departments also caught my attention.

“My first rotation within my apprenticeship was in planning where I was given the responsibility to order materials. My role in supply chain is a critical part of the business and each of the roles I learn in my apprenticeship are key to production. Since returning to site, I have started my second rotation in the QESH department (Quality, Environment, Safety and Health) – I analyse and extract data from different reports, creating quality checks for manufacturing lines.

“My apprenticeship has boosted my confidence due to talking and liaising with many different people across the organisation. Presenting to local MP James Brokenshire and CCEP Vice President & General Manager of GB at the opening of our new production line was a huge achievement.

“I’m passionate about advocating apprenticeships and opportunities for BAME Women in Supply Chain. I’m the first in my family to do an apprenticeship and I’m keen to demonstrate that going to university is not the only option. I want to break down stereotypes, which is why I’m getting involved in many different work opportunities – and I’m only in my first year! For example, I’ve set up a skills matrix to analyse skills gaps in the production team and have had the opportunity to be a Just Be Ambassador, promoting inclusion and diversity.” TOBY SINGH, ENGINEERING APPRENTICE, CCEP, 2014-2018

“Since joining CCEP in 2014, I have stretched my skills and knowledge so much further than I anticipated. I graduated from my first apprenticeship with CCEP in 2018 and have now started studying for a degree apprenticeship in Engineering Manufacturing Design. Because of my first apprenticeship with CCEP I was able to be fast tracked into the second year of the degree, which for me is a big achievement.

“In year one of my first apprenticeship I got to learn both in the classroom about the basic fundamentals of engineering, and hands-on with tools and electrical circuits. In my second and third years, I worked four days a week in the East Kilbride factory in Scotland and attended college one day a week to continue learning. I was given a buddy who worked in a different area, meaning I learnt more about the business, as well as learning alternative techniques I could apply to my job.

“In fourth year, I was trusted with more responsibilities, allowing me to test everything I had learnt over the past three years. By the time I finished the apprenticeship I was able to work independently as an engineer on the lines.

“When the Capri-Sun lines were installed in the East Kilbride factory I was offered a full-time role. I have loved seeing the sustainable changes that have been made, including the introduction of paper straws to remove plastic waste. It is a really rewarding job to have around my studies.” DAVANA TOMKIN-SALMON, INBOUND SALES REPRESENTATIVE APPRENTICE, 2017-2018

“I completed my apprenticeship in Sales and Management with CCEP in 2018, and I’m now working for them as an outside sales rep. My job allows me to be based all around the UK and I love meeting all the suppliers and putting my pitching skills to the test.

“When CCEP came to my school to talk about the apprenticeships they offered, I was really interested in working straight away and gaining a well-recognised qualification at the same time.

“I was really excited about the responsibility I would be given as this was my first job, and I was intrigued about the opportunities it could offer me in the future. The apprenticeship enabled me to utilise skills I hadn’t explored before and really boosted my confidence. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, working with people who were much older than me, and I was given responsibility to work on big accounts that are crucial for the business’s success. Once I had mastered the skills required for the job, I was able to put my own flair to it and get creative with my selling skills.

“The skills I learnt during my apprenticeship have been invaluable for my job now; I had to problem solve under pressure, communicate with a wide range of people and use my time effectively. I am hoping in the future I can turn my hand to a different area of the business – I’m confident the skills I have learnt in the last three years will take me far in the future.”

Visit our Early Careers site www.ccep.jobs/earlycareersgb for more information

Action needed to attract BAME candidates onto training programmes

Co-authored by Sharon Blyfield, HR Business Partner at Coca-Cola European Partners Limited and AELP Board Member and Jane Hickie, Managing Director, Association of Employment and Learning Providers

Just before Christmas 2020, the government published official statistics for the apprenticeships programme in England and it was another set of data showing the terrible impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the take-up of the programme during 2020.

The statistics contained a little ray of the light in reporting that even though 42,100 BAME apprenticeship starts are a decrease compared to 48,400 in 2018/19, the proportion of BAME starts increased from 12.5% in 2018/19 to 13.3% in 2019/20. However, the 13.3 percentage still falls short of the 14.5% proportion of England’s population with a BAME background which was recorded in the 2011 census. It is not a proud record by any means, But before any fingers are pointed, the reality is that employers, training providers, schools, parents and government could all be doing better. This apprenticeships issue is not just confined to recruitment from the BAME communities because other data confirms that the proportion of school leavers going into an apprenticeship has hardly changed from around 6-7% in the last ten years. This is despite multi-million pound government marketing campaigns, launched to raise awareness among employers and young people about the benefits of apprenticeships. with a contract of employment from day one, and at a time when a record number of redundancies are occurring, this is a highly valued commodity. The chancellor Rishi Sunak is very much aware of it and in his July Plan for Jobs, he included a new set of financial incentives to encourage businesses to offer more apprenticeship opportunities. For example, until 31 March 2021 the government will make a new payment of £2,000 for each freshly recruited apprentice for those under the age of 25 and £1,500 for those aged 25 and over. This money is in addition to the existing £1,000 payment the government already provides for new 16-18 year old apprentices and those aged under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

UPDATED MEASURES

Another key measure in the Plan for Jobs was an additional £111m this year for Traineeships in England to fund high quality work placements and training for 16 to 24 year olds. Employers may receive £1,000 per trainee, up to 10 trainees. Placements are a vital first step on the ladder to the world for work for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and the programme has an enviable track-record of delivering positive outcomes for its learners.

A further welcome measure has been the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which has been effective in keeping apprentices in employment with the added bonus that they can continue training while on furlough. In this respect, apprenticeship training providers have done a fantastic job in keeping programmes going remotely despite the challenges involved in delivering work based learning online.

For adults who don’t yet have a level 3 qualification (equivalent to an A level), the government will introduce from April 2021 a Lifetime Skills Guarantee. This will enable an adult to train or study for free for a level 3 qualification from a list of 400 qualifications spread across a wide range of sectors. The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and its 800 training provider members want to make sure that all these opportunities are available to young people and adults from BAME communities. We have been talking to organisations such as the BAME Apprenticeship Alliance and Amazing Apprenticeships for several years about increasing the takeup and getting more commitment from employers and providers and there are still areas where everyone involved needs to improve.

On the question of where training providers could be doing more to find candidates and match them with employers, we know that identifying talent requires a talent pool and there’s no better place to start than BAME communities. This means regular engagement with local schools, mosques, churches and community members. A key lesson from experience is that it is important to work closely with a few rather than loosely with many.

“It is vital to utilise existing apprentices as powerful case studies to showcase and share their journey”

FACING THE CHALLENGE

It is crucial as Britain becomes even more diverse to recognise that a blanket approach does not work across all intersections of BAME communities. This means that understanding the challenges of Black communities is different from Asian communities and different to those from, say, Eastern European countries etc. The advice to providers and other relevant stakeholders is to study the areas of target and understand the breakdown of ethnicities, learn about the various cultures and engage with them respectively. Moreover it is vital to utilise existing apprentices as powerful case studies to showcase and share their journey.

One reason why strong case studies matter is that traditional careers such as medicine, law, and engineering etc have been seen to tick the pillars of good social mobility, especially among South Asian families, namely: opportunity, progression, job security, skills and money. Presenting alternative career routes with clear case studies is the best way to overcome the barriers of perception related to vocational training programmes such as apprenticeships. We include a couple of examples on the opposite page of young people who have had positive experiences through apprenticeships

Let’s be honest; training providers might be fully signed up to getting more BAME apprentices and learners engaged but often they must work hard to find local employers with the same level of commitment towards recruitment. The message which providers should present is that for a BAME apprentice to thrive within an organisation, the culture must be one which allows them to be encouraged to learn and grow. This is important because individuals from these communities bring with them previous experiences of resilience and challenges through hardships which many BAME youth use as motivation to become more socially mobile. They hold a desire to succeed to the very top with the right opportunity and organisation. This is a characteristic that most employers find embedded with all apprentices, but perhaps they don’t realise how strong it is within young people from BAME backgrounds.

The numbers at the start of this article show that even if all training providers adopt best practice, we still have a considerable way to go before the proportion of apprentices who are from BAME communities overtakes the BAME percentage of the population in England. As referred to earlier, the action required needs to be a team effort. In our secondary schools, for example, there are brilliant teachers who volunteer to become apprenticeship champions but not all schools are prepared to inform their students about the advantages which apprenticeships offer despite a legal obligation (the so-called ‘Baker Clause’) to do so. AELP believes that the government should be much tougher in enforcing the obligation. How can students from BAME communities go home to explain to their parents or guardians the benefits of a non-university route if they are not being informed about them in the first place?

The threat of prolonged economic uncertainty could turn 2021 into a challenging year for all employment and skills training programmes, but we should not use it as an excuse to do less to promote opportunities to individuals from BAME communities. On the contrary, we should be doing even more and at board level, AELP is preparing a strategy to enable this. It is an exciting challenge to have.

WHY APPRENTICESHIPS WORK

AKEEM GRAHAM

Media broadcast camera operator at BBC Media Production, Level 3 Apprentice

My job role is to be on constant call for programmes (such as the One, Six and Ten O’Clock News etc) and journalists (UK Newsgathering, World service, Digital etc) who are working a story and need a camera crew. My job can vary from a quick zoom interview, a few days filming abroad or filming departure shots of the Prime Minister outside Downing street. Every day is different, and you must be prepared for all types of situations.

I have filmed at Liverpool’s training ground ahead of their Champions League final against Tottenham. I had the pleasure of being second camera in an interview with the manager, Jurgen Klopp, and Player of the Year, Virgil Van Dijk. I got pictures with them both and the interviews aired on BBC Breakfast.

My proudest moment has to be graduating from the Apprenticeship scheme. I was given the opportunity to make a graduation video, give a speech about my journey and also was presented with the ‘Promising leader Award’. The day reflected all my hard work over the 12 months of my course, which didn’t go unnoticed by my employers.

Akeem’s advice: If university isn’t for you, then this is an amazing alternative. HENNA BASHARAT

Lab technician at Specsavers Spectacle Maker, Level 3 (Advanced) apprenticeship

My job role is to help with the production and manufacture of spectacles, to carry out the quality control process and to ensure lenses are ordered through the system correctly. Some tasks during a typical working day include blocking, glazing and final checking spectacles, sorting the lens delivery and contacting any patients whose spectacles are delayed.

The most exciting project I have worked on during my apprenticeship would have to be planning and organising a series of school visits with one of the store directors to encourage more children to enter STEM based careers. It was also lovely to be able to give a speech at my old secondary school about my experience as an apprentice.

One of my proudest moments since starting my apprenticeship would be making it on to the Modern Muse Youth Board as a female empowerment ambassador, or perhaps making it into the apprenticeship handbook!

Henna’s advice: Remember you’re not in it to take part, you’re in it to take over!

Source: Amazing Apprenticeships

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) is a national membership organisation that represents the interests of an extensive number of organisations. For more information visit https://www.aelp.org.uk

AN OFFICIAL GUIDE TO APPRENTICESHIPS

WHAT’S AN APPRENTICESHIP?

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. They are genuine jobs and under all circumstances an apprentice will be employed from day one.

An apprentice will: – work alongside experienced staff – gain job-specific skills – earn a wage and get holiday pay – be given time for study related to their role (the equivalent of one day a week)

WHAT LEVELS ARE THERE?

All apprenticeships include elements of on the job and off the job training, leading to industry recognised standards or qualifications. Some also require an assessment at the end of the programme to assess the apprentice’s ability and competence in the role.

Name Level Equivalent educational level Intermediate 2 5 GCSE passes at grade A*–C or 9 – 4 Advanced 3 2 A level passes / Level 3 Diploma / International Baccalaureate

Higher 4, 5, 6 & 7 Foundation degree and above

Degree 6 & 7 Bachelor’s or master’s degree

WHAT CAN THEY EARN?

The national minimum wage (NMW) for apprentices is £4.30 per hour (from April 2021). This applies to apprentices aged under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. An apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £8.36.

Traditionally only apprentices aged 25 and over, and not in the first year of their apprenticeship, were entitled to the National Living Wage, but from 1 April 2021 this was extended to 23 and 24 year olds. The current NLW is £8.91 for 23 year olds and over, and the NMW is £8.36 for 21 to 22 year olds, and £6.56 for 20 year olds. This is the legal minimum pay per hour, most receive more. The Apprenticeship Pay Survey 2018-19 states that the mean total weekly earnings for Level 2 and 3 apprentices in Great Britain was £304, an increase in mean total weekly earnings from £282 in 2016, More details on salaries and entry criteria in specific apprenticeship occupations can be found on GOV.UK and search ‘apprenticeships’.

The average starting salary for a degree apprentice in 2019 was £17,800 per year,

WHY APPLY?

– Earn a real wage; – Be trained in the skills employers want; – Set yourself up for the future – apprentices enjoy marked salary increases when they complete their training, and those completing a higher apprenticeship could see increased earnings of an estimated £150,000 over their lifetime.*

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Apprenticeships are available to anyone over the age of 16, living in the UK and have no upper age limit. The National Apprenticeship Service is committed to ensuring that high quality apprenticeships are a prestigious option, accessible to all people from all backgrounds. All vacancies on Find an Apprenticeship (https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship) will clearly state what the entry requirements are for the job role being advertised.

There will be different entry requirements depending on the industry, job role and apprenticeship level.

Recent changes to the minimum English and maths requirements now mean that people with a learning difficulty or disability can now access a level 2 intermediate apprenticeship as long as they can achieve an entry level 3 qualification during their apprenticeship.

A Disability Confident Employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria as defined by the employer. For more details, search Disability Confident on GOV.UK.

With so many opportunities on offer, there are several ways you can find an apprenticeship. More details, including videos of current apprentices, are available at apprenticeships.gov.uk. You can search and apply for vacancies on Find an Apprenticeship on GOV.UK. When you register, you can set up email and text alerts for new vacancies which may be of interest.

For more information on employers you can visit the vacancy snapshot at amazingapprenticeships.com. It displays a range of employers fact files outlining the types of apprenticeship vacancies available at these companies across the year. If you have a specific interest in a certain employer, it is also worth going direct to their recruitment site.

You could also meet employers and their apprentices through the live broadcast feature. In these interviews, you can take a look behind the scenes of a range of different employers and meet some of their apprentices amazingapprenticeships.com/live-broadcasts.

Contact the National Apprenticeship Helpdesk for further support on 0800 015 0400 or by email nationalhelpdesk@findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk.

The YouTube channel has useful hints and tips on applying plus other videos on apprenticeships, visit YouTube and search apprenticeships/NAS.

HOW TO APPLY?

At any one time on Find an Apprenticeship there are between 12,000 - 20,000 apprenticeships vacancies online available at gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship, in a variety of careers and industries. You can search by keyword (job role, occupation type or apprenticeship level) and by location. In addition, some employers advertise vacancies on their website. Once the right job comes up, simply register on the website and follow the step by step instructions to apply for the role.

WHAT’S THE ROLE OF THE TRAINING PROVIDER?

The training provider has a key role to play in providing off-the-job training, assessing progress towards achieving qualifications and supporting you generally during their apprenticeship. They work very closely with the employer to ensure that the apprentice receives:

– an induction programme on starting – a detailed training plan (including on-the-job training) – regular progress reviews – opportunities to put into practice off-the-job learning so that they can achieve their qualifications/ requirements of the apprenticeship – mentoring and general support throughout the apprenticeship

This will all be documented in a commitment statement that is part of the Apprenticeship Agreement. This is an individual learning plan that the provider, the employer and apprentice will all sign up to. on average at least one day per week of formal training, higher than the proportion in 2016 (43%).

You can find out more about learner satisfaction with training organisations and colleges by accessing the learner satisfaction survey results on the FE Choices pages of GOV.UK.

HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK WILL AN APPRENTICE BE WORKING?

The minimum duration of each apprenticeship is based on the apprentice working 30 hours a week or more, including any off-the-job training you undertake.

However, this does not apply in every circumstance. For example, people with caring responsibilities or people with a disability may work reduced weekly hours. Where this is the case, the duration of the apprenticeship will be extended to take account of this.

The time spent on off-the-job training should be at least 20% and should be included as part of working hours. The employer must allow time to complete the apprenticeship within the working hours. If support is needed with English and maths, the should also be within their normal working hours.

FURTHER SUPPORT

Additionally, a £1,000 bursary is available to support for care leavers starting apprenticeships who are aged 1624, this will be paid directly to them in the first year of the apprenticeships. You can also find more details on GOV.UK.

If you need help with you apprenticeship application or professional advice on making the right choices, visit nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk for a web-chat with an adviser or call: 0800 100 900 (free from landlines and mobiles).

To follow the National Apprenticeship Service: @Apprenticeships / @FireItUp_Apps @fireitupapps

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Visit apprenticeships.gov.uk or call 08000 150 400