With thousands of different apprenticeships to choose from - it can sometimes feel daunting to know where and when you should be looking - and what you should be looking out for. Follow these top tips for finding the best apprenticeship for:
A great place to start is to spend more time thinking about what interests you and the subjects, activities and tasks that you enjoy the most. It can be useful to try and think about what you don't like as much as what you do like!
The range of apprenticeships is huge. One of the best ways to help you to decide what you're interested in is to hear from other apprentices. You can read some of the amazing stories from our apprentices and find out more about their experiences here.
Apprenticeships are offered by large and small companies throughout England. The full range of apprenticeship job roles and levels that a company offers may not always be obvious to you, especially if that company is well-known for a particular product or service, or if you've never heard of the organisation before. Take some time to research the types of employers that offer apprenticeships and think about the kind of company you see yourself working in.
The best apprenticeships are not necessarily the ones paying the highest salaries or the biggest global brand. There are many other factors you can consider when researching your options and the different programmes available. Being clear about what is most important to you can really help in your decision-making process. For example, you could consider: What does the company do? Would I like to work for this employer? How many apprentices do they employ? or What kind of tasks would you be doing day to day?
Here are lots of ways you can search for apprenticeships, including:
-Find an apprenticeship website - http://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ is a good place to start!
-Sunderland College's website
-Company websites
-Social media
-Through friends and family
-Local job sites
If you have a particular employer in mind, you can always send in your CV.
There is not one fixed application date for apprenticeships. Vacancies are advertised throughout the year and the employer will decide when they want to recruit. Some employers will advertise almost a year ahead of the planned start date (this is typical for large schemes) and other employers will advertise with a short application window and closing date. Never wait for the closing date before submitting your application!
