EMPLOYERS GUIDE TO APPRENTICESHIPSAT STEPHENSON COLLEGE

WELCOME TOSTEPHENSONCOLLEGE

A WARM WELCOME FROM THE PRINCIPALAt Stephenson College we are very proud of theexcellent reputation we enjoy for providing qualitytraining and professional support to the businesscommunity. The College is a provider of high qualityvocational training and we are aware of ourresponsibility to provide appropriately trained stafffor industry and commerce.Our role is to use public and private funding tooptimise the number of highly skilled individualsavailable to you for recruitment or to enhance thecontribution of existing employees to your company.We also recognise that the productivity of the UKneeds to increase in order for our competitiveposition to be maintained and to improve.We look forward to hearing from you and to workingtogether in the future.Nigel LeighPrincipal/Chief Executive

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Employers Guide Contents

Why choose Stephenson College? 4

What is an apprenticeship 6

Benefits of taking on an Apprentice 7

Range of apprenticeships we offer 8

Functional Skills 10

FAQ __________ 11Stephenson College

Coalville CampusThornborough Road

CoalvilleLeicestershire

LE67 3TN

Tel: 01530 836136

Nottingham CampusOak HouseEaster Park

Lenton Lane, NottsTel: 0115 955 7670

Maid Marian WayCreative Services

16-18 Maid Marian WayNottingham

NG1 6HS

0115 955 7673

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It’s no secret …

…apprenticeships are on the rise when itcomes to how employers are choosing toinvest in their future, the flexibility that anapprenticeship provides, coupled withthe fact they’re opening endless doorsfor young people up and down thecountry suggests just how vital they’rebecoming in today’s modern climate.Here at Stephenson College we’re committed toworking hand in hand with employers to helpincrease productivity, closing the skill gap thathas widened across various industry sectors onboth a local and national level over the lastseveral years.

If you’re looking to hire an apprentice throughStephenson College we can offer you abespoke recruitment service where we do thelegwork so you don’t have to and its FREE. It’sour aim to match you with the ideal candidate tohelp drive your business forward, fromadvertising the position all the way to the finalinterview process. With Stephenson Collegeyou’re in safe hands.We don’t stop there…Once you have employed an Apprentice we willcontinue to support both of you with regularupdates on your apprentices progress and wellbeing.

STEPHENSON COLLEGEHAS OFFEREDAPPRENTICESHIPPROGRAMMES FOROVER 20 YEARS…

“Volvo Truck & Bushas enjoyed a verysuccessful workingpartnership withStephenson College,which is now in its20th year. Duringthis time the Collegehas consistentlydelivered high-qualitytraining at theVolvo Training Academyand been receptive andreactive to the changingtraining needs of ourcompany and theautomotive industry.”

Adam PlastowCommercial Academyand ApprenticeshipManager

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WHY CHOOSESTEPHENSON COLLEGE?Stephenson College has been offeringapprenticeships for more than 20 yearsand is known throughout the UK for itsexcellence in training.The College currently has more than 1,000students enrolled in a wide variety ofapprenticeship training programs. Theapprentices will learn vital new skills whilegaining highly-relevant on the job trainingas they work towards a nationally-recognised qualification.Apprentices, who must be aged 16 or over,get paid for working and learning in an areathey enjoy and the skills they learn canhelp shape their long-term careers.The training takes at least 16 months whileAdvanced Apprenticeships can last for twoyears or more and those who successfullycomplete their apprenticeships will receivean n NVQ (QCF) Level 2 or NVQ (QCF)Level 3 certificate.The College is the UK apprentice trainingcentre for Volvo Truck and Bus where itsheavy vehicle technician training scheme ishighly regarded and very well supported.The apprenticeship scheme with Volvo hasbeen ongoing for 20 years.Stephenson College is also the nationaltraining centre for civil engineeringcompany Ban Nuttall and that won themthe National Apprentice Scheme LargeCompany Award for 2013-14.We are engaged with over 500 employeesfrom micro-businesses to the larger onessuch as Aggregate Industries, AshfieldIn2Focus, BAM Nuttall, Brush Traction,Coalville Hospital, Derbyshire CountyCouncil, East Midlands Airport, EastMidlands Trains, Euro-ProjectsRecruitment Ltd, The Fire and RescueService, Mansfield District Council, NorthWest Leicestershire District Council,Papermoon Day Nursery and the RSPCA.We operate across three campuses inNottingham and CoalvilleAt Stephenson College we are very proudof the excellent reputation we enjoy forproviding quality training and professionalsupport to the business communityThe College works very closely with thebusiness community to ensure that itsapprenticeship programs are relevant,up-to-date and help close the skills gap tobest support the needs of employers whilehelping develop the workforce of the future.Courses range from construction, childcare, animal care, administration,hairdressing, sales, accounting andengineering.

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APPRENTICESHIPSHELP SHAPE THEWORKFORCE OF THEFUTURE...TODAY!

What is an Apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are structured trainingprogrammes available for anyone aged 16 yearsor over.

They offer an excellent opportunity to train newemployees whilst they study for a nationallyrecognised qualification.

An Apprenticeship gives employers the opportunity totrain and shape a young person to their own highstandards and instil their company ethos upon theemployee from an early age

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BENEFITS OF TAKING ON AN APPRENTICE

• Employers who choose to take on a 16-18 year oldapprentice only have to pay their salary. Their trainingis fully funded by the government• Government statistics show that nearly everyemployer that takes on an apprentice (96%) reportedbenefits to their business• 72% of employers reported that apprenticeshipsimproved their productivity or the quality of theirproduct or service• If you’re a small business, you may get a £1500grant to help cover the cost of starting a newapprentice aged 16 to 24 years old

• One in five employers are hiring more apprentices tohelp them through the economic climate.• Apprenticeship programmes allow training to beundertaken either during work or out of work in orderto minimise disruption to business operations.• Taking on apprentices have shown to significantlyreduce staff turnover• Recruitment costs are significantly reduced

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RANGE OFAPPRENTICESHIPSOFFERED ATSTEPHENSONCOLLEGE

� Accounting� Business Administration� Alternative Technologies� Animal Care� Beauty Therapy� Business Management & HR� Care� Carpentry & Joinery� Cleaning and Support Services� Complementary Therapies� Customer Services� Distribution & Warehousing� Early Years Childcare� Electrical Installation� Engineering� Gas maintenance� Construction� Hairdressing� Health & Social Care� Horse Care� IT & Computing� Maintenance Operations� Motor Vehicle� Painting & Decorating� Plant operations� Plumbing� Property Services� Trowel Occupations

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“I’ve always enjoyedworking withStephenson College.Their facilities areexcellent and the staffare always professional,friendly and enthusiastic

Mark LovegroveTraining OfficerBaxi

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FUNCTIONAL SKILLS

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Functional Skills are a vital part of anyapprenticeship. They provide apprenticeswith the essential knowledge, skills andunderstanding needed to operateconfidently, effectively and independentlyin everyday life and at work.

Apprentices are taught English, Maths &Information Communication Technology(ICT) at both level one and level twostandards through dedicated lessonswithin the college or through the workplaceby prior agreement.

Functional Skills in English

Apprentices will develop their skills inreading, communication and writingbuilding confidence in:

• Reading and understanding texts usingthem to gather information, ideas,argument and opinions• Taking part in and contributing to formaland informal discussions and exchangesthat include unfamiliar subjects • Writing arange of texts, including extended writtendocuments, communicating information,ideas and opinions effectively

Functional Skills in Maths

Apprentices will develop their coremathematical skills giving them theconfidence to:

• Solve various mathematical problemsusing a variety of methods • Carry outcalculations with number of any size inpractical contexts to a given number ofdecimal places • Collect and representdiscrete and continuous data, usinginformation and communication technology(ICT) where appropriate

Functional Skills in ICT

Apprentices will develop their ICTknowledge to gain essential skills such as:

• Enter, develop and refine informationusing appropriate software to meet therequirements of straightforward tasks •Use appropriate software to meetrequirements of straightforward data-handling tasks • Combine informationwithin a publication for a familiar audienceand purpose

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FREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONS

How long does an Apprenticeship last?

An Apprenticeship can take between oneand four years to complete depending onthe level of Apprenticeship, the apprentice’sability and the industry sector.

How is training delivered?

The Apprenticeship programme may involveone to one discussions, practicaldemonstrations, assignment work,assessments – both practical and theory -online learning as well as formal taughtsessions and workshops.

Do apprentices spend a lot of time atCollege rather than the workplace?

Not at all, apprenticeships are a mixture ofon and off the job training, the majority ofthe training will be done in the workplace.

What are my responsibilities as anemployer?To provide a contract of employment, aminimum rate of pay and to deliver on thejob training to the apprentice should youchoose to take one on. They are similar toany other employee except they have extratraining in place for them.

When do apprenticeships start?

An apprenticeship can be started at anydate throughout the year (Subject to courseframework).

Abbigail Fortuin 07880 786564 Engineering

Aysha Beeson 07899 026490 Motor Vehicle

Heather Docksey 07825 844825 Motor Vehicle &Commercial Courses

Lyndy Fern 07887 635393 Customer Service,Property Services, IT,Business Admin.

David Sheldon 07899 024376 Horse care, Health &Social Care, Childcare &Teaching & Learning

Duncan Squires 07867 953554 Hair & Beauty,Warehouse & storage,AAT & Business Admin.

Lydia Wright 07901 804266 Construction