The Chron looks at how apprenticeship schemes are helping the county’s young people
THE WORLD could very well look like a bleak place to today’s school leavers.
With unemployment rife across the country and the prospective debt levels of university students ever increasing, it must be difficult for young people to know which way to turn to carve a future for themselves.
Perhaps this is why demand for apprenticeship places is increasing.
According to the county’s youth advisory service Connexions, in December 2011 it was reported that 1,262 Northamptonshire people aged 16-18 undertook apprenticeships, a massive increase on the 748 people recorded in December 2010.
Simon Stewart, business development, planning and control manager at Northampton College, said the number of their students becoming involved in apprenticeship programmes is increasing year after year, with 500 signed up this year.
The college works in partnership with employers in the county to help find and match students with appropriate training opportunities.
He said apprenticeships have been proving popular with youngsters as well as older people who are perhaps looking to retrain.
He said: “Apprenticeships are now a Government priority. This year there will be more apprenticeship vacancies than university places. It is a priority for the Government to get people into work and into a trade and that is where the funding is.
“The Government funds all the training elements for 16-18-year-olds and half of them for those aged 19 and over.”
Although earning an apprenticeship placement is still competitive, increasing numbers of Northamptonshire companies seem to be going out of their way to offer them.
One of the county’s newest apprenticeship schemes is now running at the Saints ground, where 10 recruits have been taken on.
Rowland Winter, community development officer, explained: “They are now in their fourth week of a 26-week course and they are with us for 24 hours a week. The programme is split into two parts. The first is learning - where they get an NVQ certificate, level two, in Activity Leaderships - they get coaching and kids’ related qualifications and we get them up to speed with their maths and English. But they also do employment related classes to get them ready for work in a few months’ time.
“On the earning side of things, there are five departments such as the club shop, community coaching and conferences and marketing.
“We did have quite a lot of applicants, there were between 50 and 60 applicants. The scheme is working well.”
Paul Gosling of Superior Cars in Northampton town centre has been taking on apprentices for more than 12 years.
With increasing numbers of school leavers struggling to get themselves qualified for a competitive jobs market, he believes school careers advisors should do more to promote apprenticeships as good opportunities for the whole range of students, not just those who achieve less well academically.
He said: “When I employ someone, I’m interested in all of their knowledge and training rather than what is on a bit of paper.”
He continued: “Over the last few years many people have been more focused on what they can earn and going to university. When they are learning (on apprenticeships) they don’t have high wages but they are learning a skill for life.”
He believes that apprenticeships should not be seen as solely options for those who are less able at school.
He said; “Because of all of the elements involved with modern cars, this is a complicated job but there are people saying it is a manual job so it is easy. We need a high level of staff, someone who can work with their hands but who is clever at the same time.”
This week is National Apprenticeship Week and to mark the event, Connexions has been publicising its free vacancy service aimed at youngsters aged between 16 and 19, which advertises job opportunities including in-house or apprenticeship training.
Young people can view training vacancies at www.jobs4you2.org.uk or ring Freephone 0800 7313219 (select option 1).
Or, email jobenquiries@connexions-northampton shire.org.uk or visit www.4you2.org.uk for further information and advice about looking for work.
The apprentices:
Alex Mallia
Now in his last year of a three-year apprenticeship at Superior Cars in Northampton, trainee technician Alex Mallia is looking forward to the opportunities his new qualifications will offer him in the future.
The 19-year-old, whose apprenticeship is combined with studying for an NVQ in Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair at Northampton College, explained: “I think there is a real benefit to working with the college as well as in real conditions.
“I tend to find some of my friends won’t do a trade, they think you end up sweating away every day and earning not a lot of money, but it makes sense for me to perhaps not earn much money now but to learn a trade. With the skills I am learning now I could work at a main dealer without any problems at all.”
Ashleigh Highfield-Finch
Having been working part time and searching for other work, teenager Ashleigh Highfield-Finch jumped at the opportunity of taking on an apprenticeship at the Saints Rugby ground.
After having taken a photography course, the 18-year-old from Northampton town centre found herself looking for a new career direction to pursue when she discovered there were opportunities at the Saints ground.
At the Saints, Ashleigh has been doing database work, as well as research for the planning of events, but throughout the duration of her apprenticeship she can expect to take on a number of very different roles at the club.
She said; “It has been good as it is something I’m very interested in. I think I’m still in that place where I’m not sure what I want to do yet. I think university was an option but I didn’t know what I wanted to study, you can get yourself into debt and still not know whether you are doing the right thing.”
Katie Coombs
“The jobs market at the moment is very hard,” said 17-year-old Katie Coombs.
Having reached the end of her temporary Christmas job at Next, the Wellingborough teenager was delighted when her application to join the Saints apprenticeship scheme proved successful.
She said; “There are five areas we get to work in at the Saints so it will give me lots of work experience. I had tried to go for a few before but it is very hard to get on to apprenticeships, there are so many unemployed young people who want to do something.
“I think it is a good idea for companies to get involved with apprenticeships as it gives them a good reputation. But it is good for apprentices too. On Thursdays, when we have a learning day, we can really develop our skills more, we have been doing ICT work.”
Harry Buswell
“I knew what I wanted to be when I left school and I knew I did not want to study subjects which wouldn’t help, but I did not want to go straight into work,” said 16-year-old Harry Buswell.
Now an apprentice mechanic at Superior Cars in Horseshoe Street, Northampton town centre, the former Campion School pupil feels he is benefiting from the decision he made to take on an apprenticeship.
Attending Northampton College every six weeks to study for his NVQ in Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair, Harry spends the rest of his time developing his skills in hands-on work at the garage.
Harry, who lives in Hunsbury Meadows, said: “I think it is fairly important these opportunities are offered. You don’t always learn everything you need to know at the garage and it helps to have that extra learning at the college.
“It would probably be quite hard if this wasn’t available to do, I would have found somewhere that offered a motor vehicle repair course full time but then I would have to find work with my qualifications. This way I know I will have a career afterwards.
“I would like to stay on at Superior Cars for a few years and perhaps when I’m older have my own garage.
THE SUCCESS STory
Ashleigh Hodges
WITH famous hairdressing names such as Ulberto Giannini and Errol Douglas starting their careers in the celebrated FAME Team, Northamptonshire’s Ashleigh Hodges is in good company.
The 21-year-old who works at her family’s Flame Hair Studio in Towcester, beat hundreds of entrants from across the country to be picked as one of four up-and-coming talents in the industry’s Fellowship Academy of Merit and Excellence (FAME).
Being part of FAME means that Ashleigh is invited to regular workshops and seminars with top stylists, and is involved with everything from high profile photographic shoots to fashion shows.
She has come a long way since she first left school at the age of 16 to take on an apprenticeship role in the family business.
Combining on-the-job training with a NVQ at Northampton College, Ashleigh soon built up her hairdressing talents.
She said; “I had always wanted to be a hairdresser. After my GCSEs no one wanted me to do this, I could have gone to university, but I never gave up.
“I think it is always better to learn on-the-job so doing this as an apprenticeship was fantastic, with one day a week in college. We have taken people on before full time but it took a while for them to get used to being in a salon. You don’t get that with on-the-job training.”
She continued; “I found that at school there was always a focus on going to university and not on what else you can do, but I did not want to go. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of learning.”
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