Latest local data on Apprenticeships

Youth Connexions has compiled this month's data about Apprenticeships in Hertfordshire.

Vacancies
286 Vacancies (with 254 employers)

• 2% Traineeships*
• 80% Intermediate
• 17% Advanced
• 1% Higher

[ * Traineeships are an entry pathway to Apprenticeships. Find out more about them here. ]

Wages

Average wage £137 per week.

• 44% paying over average per week
• Wage range £82-£451 per week
• Highest paying £451 (HA Engineering with National Grid in Hitchin)
• 91% paying above National Minimum Wage

Most popular sectors:

• Business, administration and law (35% of vacancies)
• Retail and commercial enterprise (29% of vacancies)

Degree level Apprenticeships introduced

New, degree level Apprenticeships are due to start in England in September 2015 allowing young people to gain a full Honours degree while earning a wage and paying no fees. They will start in digital and software fields with two thirds of course fees covered by the Government while the employers pay trainees’ wages etc. Employers involved include BT, Capgemini, Ford, Fujitsu, GlaxoSmithKline and the John Lewis Partnership. 

Click here to read an article on Degree Level Apprenticeships from the Times Higher Education Supplement and an article comparing Apprenticeship and graduate routes can be found here.

What the politicians are promising

Here are some recent political pledges from members of the Government:

• Business secretary Vince Cable has mentioned a potential pay rise for 16-17 Apprentices from £2.73 to £3.79 with a report due in February 2015.
• Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced that the Government will revolutionise how 16 to 18 year olds find out about vocational skills and training. “A fully-comprehensive national database of post-16 skills and employer-led courses and opportunities in England, similar to the UCAS system, will be in place at the beginning of the next school year in September 2015.”
• The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne gave his annual Autumn Statement to Parliament on 3rd December 2014. To make it cheaper to employ young people, from April 2016, employers will not have to pay National Insurance contributions (NICs) for all but the highest earning apprentices aged under 25.

More on Apprenticeships

• To raise awareness of the diverse range of Apprenticeships out there, the Daily Telegraph newspaper has launched an Apprenticeship app, giving candidates the opportunity to browse all Apprenticeships available in England. Results can be filtered by location and occupation. The App is available for free on iPhone and Android here.
• The www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk does just what it says.  It has been reviewed by Dan Gendle,  an Employer Development Coordinator at Hertfordshire Youth Connexions, who commented: 'I think this is a useful website for students thinking about Apprenticeships. There is useful information about top employers who offer schemes, but also information from apprentices about how they found the scheme and internships, etc.'
• A one page Parents' Guide to Apprenticeships has been published by the Government and can be downloaded here.
• The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has produced an "infographic" to explain Higher Apprenticeships. You can view it here.

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.