Apprentices

Increasingly recognised as the gold standard in work-based training, apprenticeships are today offered in their thousands. Offering frameworks across a wide variety of industry sectors, a staggering 100,000 employers provide apprenticeships in over 160,000 workplaces.

What’s more, there are now more than 250 varieties of apprenticeship programmes, each one supporting one of 1,400 roles. With programmes designed by the Sector Skills Councils, course content is constantly being developed to ensure emerging young talent has the chance to shine.

An apprenticeship takes one to four years to complete, depending on its level, the sector and the ability of individuals. Apprenticeships offer packages of ‘on the job’ and ‘off the job’ training.

Funding 100% of training fees for 16-18 year old apprentices and up to 50% for those aged 19-24, the Government helps businesses and apprentices alike thrive.

You rarely get a second chance to make a good impression on a prospective employer, so at your interview, it is important that you get it right first time. We have put together some top tips on;

• Preparing yourself
• What to take
• What to wear
• Knowledge about the job & organisation
• Psychological preparation

We have listed 5 Interview tips to assist with that daunting interview…

1. Preparing yourself – this is vital to being calm and collected during your interview. First, find out where your interview will take place and when. Do a trial run to find out how long it will take you to get to the interview making sure to give yourself plenty of time. Make sure to arrive 10 minutes prior to your interview time. Do not be late – but if you happen to be, make sure you have contact details for your interviewer so you can let them know in advance.
2. What should I take to an interview? First of all, copies of your CV in a portfolio or plastic wallet so they’re easy to access and do not get wrinkled. Ensure to take a pen and paper to take notes of any interesting titbits about the business and notes about the interviewer’s questions. To ensure when they ask ‘do you have any questions for me’ you have some pre-written on hand. Ensure you have directions to your interview, if you are working with a training provider like ourselves, we can provide these for you.
3. What should I wear to an Apprenticeship interview? It all depends on what apprenticeship you have applied for and the company you have applied with. Default interview wear is smart attire e.g. suit, shirt and tie, jacket, blouse and skirt/trousers. This will work best for corporate apprenticeships e.g. legal, administration, accountancy etc. If the business is more the labour, manufacturing, blue-collar environment, you can opt for smart casual. The idea is to look like you will fit into the business.
4. Know the business – it is essential that you understand the business and the job role you have applied for. You may be asked ‘why do you want to work for our business’ and this is where the company knowledge will be useful, you can use what you know and make sure you have asked yourself that question beforehand. Make sure to study the job role requirements as you may be asked what enticed you to the job and what interests you.
5. Psychologically prepare – interviews can seem like daunting experiences but they don’t have to be if you are physically and emotionally prepared. Think about your top accomplishments that may impress the employers, if you struggle, try thinking ‘problem, action, result’. Managing your stress is so important – make sure your morning is positive with limited distractions, try deep breathing if you mind your stress level building. Try picturing yourself in the job – this might give you enough motivation to keep yourself happy and positive through the interview.

Here at Apprentice Employment Agency, we are here to support you from finding you an apprenticeship, assisting with any interview queries and helping you gain the confidence, you need to nail the interview and start on a career path of your dreams.