Paragon skills for industry

The end of compulsory education means important choices have to be made. Choices made now will impact on future career options and making the right choice is essential to ensure the best possible start to a rewarding career.

There are several options to choose from and selecting the right option requires some careful thought to ensure that the pathway chosen is the right one for the individual concerned.

For some young people the academic route of A levels and university is the obvious choice. However, many young people are not best served by this route and for them the academic route would prove un-inspiring and fruitless. For these young people the vocational route is far more appropriate and engaging. It’s simply about deciding upon the most suitable route.

What is vitally important however, is that the young person who leaves full time education continues learning and developing. That’s why there are now so many vocational training routes for 16 – 24 year olds that continue their development through work-related learning and practical, hands-on experience and training.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are the very best way of securing a rewarding and satisfying career. Backed and funded by government, Apprenticeships are delivered in partnership with employers to provide bright young people with structured training and development that leads to nationally recognised qualifications. Apprenticeships are designed by industry, for industry, and there’s an apprenticeship route for thousands of career paths.

Apprenticeships are real jobs, but with a structured and accredited learning programme built in. That means that an apprentice is learning and earning from day one. Apprentices follow a structured learning plan that covers all aspects of practical and theoretical learning, specific to the job they are doing. They also develop key, transferable skills such as communication, application of number and Information Technology to enable them to mature into skilled and valuable employees, with a great future.

An Apprenticeship is equivalent to 5 GCSE passes at A* to C grades.

An Advanced Apprenticeship is equivalent to 2 A level passes.

Paragon Skills works with over 700 employers across the south of England, delivering Apprenticeships to around 1200 apprentices.

For more information on Apprenticeships, and to see the range of Apprenticeships available through Paragon Skills, have a look at our Apprenticeship pages.

Not all bright young people want to go to University; so they come to Paragon Skills for an Apprenticeship instead.

Pre – Apprenticeship Programmes

Not all young people who leave school are ready for the demands of a full-time job and an Apprenticeship.

This may be because they lack confidence or maturity. They might not have the functional literacy, numeracy or IT skills that employers are looking for. Or they simply don’t know what they want to do next.

For these young people, Paragon Skills is able to offer a series of Pre-Apprenticeship options, designed to prepare young people for the world of work and progress them into a job, an Apprenticeship or back into Further Education.

Pre-Apprenticeship options include First Steps, a programme designed to enable young people to find their feet in the world outside school and develop their employability skills. First Steps provides a safe opportunity to try out different career options, brush up on job application and interview skills and learn what working life is all about.

Young people on First Steps programmes receive a training allowance of £30 per week whilst they are on the programme. (Depending on attendance)

Pre-Apprenticeship pathways are available for those young people who know what they want to do, but haven’t got the GCSE grades or basic skills to get a foot on the first rung of the ladder. These programmes are vocationally focussed and provide the opportunity to work on employability skills, whilst working in a work experience placement relevant to the career path they want to follow.

Young people on Pre-Apprenticeship pathways also receive a training allowance of £30 per week.

As a concerned parent or guardian, you will want to ensure that your young adults get the best possible start to their future career. Paragon Skills has a wide range of options and expertise to ensure that young people get access to the best possible training opportunities and support to enable them to develop skills and capabilities that will serve them for the rest of their working lives. We have years of experience in working with young people from all walks of life and pride ourselves on the level of support and care we provide; and our success rates are some of the best around.

Whatever your concerns, contact us for an informal chat, or use the contact form below.

Contact us for more information:

Freephone 0800 783 2545

Email enquiries@pgon.co.uk

Submit our online enquiry form