Employer Information

If you are an employer who is looking to expand your workforce, First College can help manage the complete process on your behalf, from advertising the vacancy, screening the applicants through to delivering the training.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships help businesses grow their own talent. They are the proven way to up-skill your workforce, making your organisation more effective, productive and competitive by addressing your skills gaps directly.

There are real business benefits to taking on apprentices and, regardless of the size, all businesses can benefit from having a work based learning apprentice on their team. Nearly every employer that takes on an Apprentice (96%) report benefits to their business by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce..

Apprenticeship programmes have been designed by Sector Skills Councils to help your employees reach a high-level of competency and performance. Apprenticeships are work-based; most of the training is ‘on the job’ – at your premises. We will guide you through the full process of taking on Apprentices, providing you with everything you need to help your Apprentice forge a successful career that also benefits your company.

Employers can offer apprentices a training wage ( see gov.uk for current rates) on a maximum 12 month basis, although most employers pay a higher rate. The training wage provides organisations the flexibility to address their staffing needs and to develop young employees into highly skilled and valued members of staff. All Apprenticeship courses for 16 – 18 year olds are fully funded and partially funded for 19 – 23 year olds. If you are aged 24+ and looking to start a course at Level 3 or above you may still qualify for an apprenticeship. If you don’t qualify You may apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.

If you have a member of staff you have identified that would benefit from Apprenticeship training or you would like First College to recruit for a vacancy you may have, please call Jude Ingram 01507 601122.

We offer training and support to both apprentices and employers by:

Identifying suitable employees and work placement opportunities
Identifying existing employees who may benefit from training
Planning and designing training programmes to meet your needs and those of the individual
Providing off-the-job training, to support the learning which is taking place in the workplace
Monitoring learner progress and providing help and support where necessary
Assessing learner competence in the workplace
Working with the national awarding bodies such as City and Guilds, OCR and ILM to award nationally recognised qualifications (NVQs) to learners
Providing on-going support and training to you and your staff in all aspects of the above