Parent Information

As a parent or carer, you want to be able to guide and advise your child towards the best opportunity for them. So, where do you start?

There are more options available to young people after they leave school than ever before. With so many different options out there, it can be difficult to know where to start those really important conversations with your child.

Looking into all the available options and being open-minded about the possible opportunities available for your child, will help you support in their decision-making process.

Apprenticeships have changed a huge amount in recent years, and now offer access to more than 1500 different job roles, ranging from intermediate level through to degree apprenticeships. You can read more about what an apprenticeship is here

Helping your child make the right career choice

Once you know what an apprenticeship is and how they work, the next step is to start researching the different apprenticeship routes available. With so many different options available it can be difficult to know where to start.

Start with having a conversation with your child about what they want to do. What are they interested in, and what skills and strengths do they have? Maybe help them to narrow down a top three industry sectors and job roles. If your child does have an idea of their future career, you can help them research the routes available and if an apprenticeship will help them to get there.

Once you have an idea of the sector and job type, look at what level of apprenticeship would be best for your child. Apprenticeship levels can often be misunderstood and whilst many might see the next level to what has already been studied as the next step, those entering the workplace for the first time might need to learn some basic workplace skills before being able to progress onto a higher or degree level. Help your child to keep an open mind and research all available levels.

You can view our available apprenticeship vacancies on our website by following the link below.

View vacancies

Top tips for parents and carers

Be open-minded

Be prepared to explore a range of options with you child. You may be really surprised at what you find out. Try to put aside any preconceptions of what you think is best and be open to explore and look at everything with them.

Think about preferred learning styles

It doesn’t matter what their ability level is, but thinking about their learning style may help you to think about the appropriate options to explore further and ensure that once a decision has been made, they are successful in their chosen career path.

Use support available to you

Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s school or college for support. They have a responsibility to help your child to prepare for the next level of their transition. We are also here to support and offer any advice and guidance needed, so feel free to give our team a call.

Respect and support their decision

The hardest job as a parent can be offering guidance while allowing them autonomy. But at the end of the day, these are profound personal decisions, and the chances are your child will go their own way whatever happens. They may even be going in a new and unfamiliar direction – but with your support, they will be so much more likely to succeed, whatever path they choose to tread.

Take a look at our FAQs – from parents like you looking at apprenticeships for their child

What is an apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is a genuine job, with training, and a nationally recognised certification at the end, meaning your child can earn while they learn!

Traditionally apprenticeships were thought of as the trades and hands-on skilled industries, but there is a growing portfolio of programmes available which can take a candidate through to degree level in a wide range of different sectors and industries.

How does school leaving age affect being an apprentice?

The government has stated that all young people must stay in some form of education or training until at least their 18th birthday. This does not necessarily mean staying in school as young people have a choice about how they continue in education or training post 16, which includes becoming an apprentice. Your child will need to be 16 years old before starting on an apprenticeship.

What are the entry requirements for an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are available to anyone over the age of 16, living in England. Entry requirements depend on the sector and job and details of these are available on the website page for each apprenticeship.

What are the benefits of your child doing an apprenticeship?

There are a number of benefits to doing an apprenticeship, aside from the formal training your son/daughter will receive. They will also gain experience in the world of work and build their skills and knowledge which are invaluable steppingstones to permanent employment and promotions. It can provide routes for personal development and higher education as well. They will be in a real work environment and gain first-hand experience with customers, colleagues, and the expectations of being a team member.

They will learn practical skills such as learning how we earn money, the routine of getting up every morning, earning their time off, and building workplace relationships which are all part of the apprenticeship.

We will all remember our first jobs, part-time or otherwise, and how the people we met and worked with were helping hands in the life lessons we learned in our initial step on the career ladder. Apprenticeships offer the same experiences.

An apprenticeship is a real job – all apprentices receive a contract of employment; staff pay and all the associated benefits.

Another clear benefit is that there are no student loans to be repaid after studying. With the average student leaving university with debts ranging from £30,000-£60,000, an apprenticeship has never been more appealing. The government and the employer cover the entire cost of apprentice training, thus having no reason to borrow money to complete studies.

What does an apprenticeship cost?

For the apprentice, an apprenticeship doesn’t cost anything. The employer is responsible for covering the cost of the apprenticeship, what they pay depends on whether they pay into the Levy Fund or not. For employers that don’t pay into the Levy Fund a 5% contribution is required and the government covers the remaining 95%.

Is there any financial support available for apprentices?

Apprentices are paid a salary by their employer and benefit from all the same benefits as other staff members including paid holidays and sick pay.

All apprentices are classed as being in full-time education and are students – so these benefits are worth exploring with them:

  • An NUS Apprentice Extra Card which costs £12 per year but provides Apprentices with massive discounts with high street and online retailers
  • A variety of travel discounts
  • Apprentices aged 16-25 can apply for a railcard saving up to a third on train fees.

What does an apprentice get paid?

The minimum wage for apprentices is £4.81 per hour, but many employers pay more than this. This is dependent on the sector, location, and apprenticeship level. Have a look at the salary on each of the apprenticeship vacancy adverts on our website.

How will it affect my Child Benefit?

Your Child Benefit stops on 31st August on or after your child’s 16th birthday if they leave education or training. It continues if they stay in approved education or training, but you must tell the Child Benefit Office.” GOV.UK

If your child leaves full-time education to start an apprenticeship, they are no longer considered your dependent. As such, families of apprentices are currently not entitled to financial support.

This includes any child maintenance you may be receiving through the statutory system, and may also impact your working tax credits, housing benefit and/or council tax reduction.

You will need to inform the Tax Credit Office and the Child Benefit Office about any changes to your circumstances. If you do not, you may be overpaid and have to pay the money back.

How do I raise a concern about the welfare of my son/daughter?

Every apprentice has a Personal Tutor, concerns about your son or daughter can be discussed with them. If this is not possible or appropriate you can speak to our Customer Success Team.

Safeguarding concerns should be reported to [email protected]

Explore our current apprenticeship vacancies

Help your child find the perfect apprenticeship role by browsing our current apprenticeship vacancies. These are roles where the employer is already actively seeking an apprentice to join their team. We have a wide variety of roles across a range of sectors.

Browse apprenticeship vacancies

Still looking for more information on apprenticeships?

Apprentice Hub

We’ve created an area full of useful information, advice and guidance on anything to do with apprenticeships to help your child make the right choice in their career.

View apprentice hub

Apprenticeship FAQs

Did the parent FAQs not answer all your questions? We have an extended area of FAQs for apprentices where you should be able to find an answer.

View apprentice FAQs

How does an apprenticeship work?

Still not sure exactly how an apprenticeship works? Read our dedicated page which will take you through all the details you need.

Read more

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