Changes to the Apprenticeships website

The existing Apprenticeships website, Apprenticeships.org has relocated to a .gov.uk domain. If you visit the .org site, you will automatically be redirected. The change is in line with the Government Digital Strategy. Certain tools currently on the Apprenticeships website will still be available, including: employer online enquiry form, finding a training organisation, the web services request form and the Apprenticeship vacancies live feed. To use the new site go to www.apprenticeships.gov.uk

'Find an Apprenticeship' will be replacing the Apprenticeship vacancies system over the next few months in the transition from .org to .gov.

The cost of an Internship

An analysis of the cost of living in London and Manchester for interns on six month work placements, by the Sutton Trust, concluded that taking an unpaid internship can cost £926 a month in London or £804 in Manchester and that this means that only people with wealthy parents can afford to do unpaid internships. The figures are based on average rental for a room in a shared property, household bills, council tax, food and miscellaneous spending, but excluded transport costs as these are often paid by interns' employers. They say that 31% of graduate interns are unpaid and that, "Internships commonly represent a first step in the ladder towards a professional career in the most competitive sectors, including fashion, journalism, politics, law, finance and the charity sector, and because these areas are so competitive, employers are often able to offer internships as completely unpaid positions." It says that, "These issues make unpaid internships a serious and pressing problem for social mobility."  [ source: GTA ]

Work Experience Information for Students and Parents

Work Experience can be a turning point in a young person's progress towards a careers pathway, if they make informed choices. The PowerPoint slides from the Parent Information Evening on 4th December 2014 can be found here. If you need to download documentation such as forms and letters, visit the Work Experience section of the school website here. If you need further information and guidance, please see the school's Work Experience Co-ordinator, Mrs Rider, in the Admin Office behind Reception.

Higher Apprenticeships

A Higher Apprenticeship incorporates a work-based learning programme and leads to a nationally recognised qualification at Level 4 and above:

• a Level 4 and 5 is equivalent to a higher education certificate, higher education diploma or a foundation degree 
• a Level 6 is equivalent to a bachelor degree 
• a Level 7 is equivalent to a master’s degree

They offer a new work-based route into professions which have traditionally been the preserve of graduates and you enter a Higher Apprenticeship after your have completed your 'A' levels or other Level 3 qualifications.

Over 40 different subjects are currently covered, ranging from commercial airline piloting to legal services, representing hundreds of job roles.  You can see a list of Higher Apprenticeship opportunities here.

Why should you consider a Higher Apprenticeship? Well, a study by ICM Research has revealed that employers in England rate qualified Higher Apprentices as 25 per cent more employable than those who took an alternative route into work.

Morrisby Profiling 2015

Last year the Vocare company ran the Morrisby Profile test in school for approximately 40 students in Years 10 to 12. They are offering to repeat the process this year. The Profile is a series of tests, lasting approximately three hours, which the Morrisby organisation uses to generate a profile of an individual’s interests, abilities and aptitudes relevant to the world of work. You can try some practice profile questions here.   

If there is sufficient interest, Vocare would run the tests in school on the morning of Monday 20th April 2015, which is the INSET day before the start of Summer Term. If only a few Beaumont students wish to take the test, Vocare may offer them the opportunity to complete the profiling at another local school.  This letter and pamphlet from Vocare provide additional information about the Morrisby Profile.  

If you wish your child to undertake the profiling, please return the slip to me at school as an expression of interest.  No payment is required at this time.  The school has hosted Morrisby Profiling in previous years and students and their parents have valued the outcomes but please note that Vocare is a private company and not part of Beaumont School.  Several organisations offer free, on-line, basic skills profiling tests, some of which can be accessed through this blog.

Apprenticeships in Hertfordshire

Current picture for Hertfordshire  -  snapshot 6th October 2014:

Apprenticeship vacancies:

• 171 Vacancies Apprenticeships
• 1.5% Traineeships 
• 75% intermediate 
• 23% advanced 
• 0.5% Higher 

Wages:

• Average wage £136 per week 
• Almost 43% paying over average per week 
• Wage range £80‐£451   (Highest paying £451: HA in Engineering with National Grid in Hitchin)
• Only 10 paying National Minimum Wage – 6% 
• 94% paying above National Minimum Wage

Most Popular Sectors:

Business, administration and law (40% of vacancies ‐ 67)

Retail and commercial enterprise (27% of vacancies ‐ 46 )

[ Source:  Youth Connexions ]

The benefits of an Apprenticeship

A recent article in the Daily Telegraph has the title:  'Avoid £45,000 student debt  -  and grab a £30,000 wage instead'.  Definitely worth a read.  To do so, click here.