The government have a thirty-two-page document on how to search and apply for apprenticeships. It can be found here, if you want it, but this article is essentially the whole thirty-two pages condensed into a few useful paragraphs
1) Register here and activate your account so you can apply for apprenticeships.
2) Search for the apprenticeship you want to do here. You don’t need an account to search, but if you want to apply for one, you do. A good place to start with searching for apprenticeships is by area. You could look for ones near where you live or in an area to which you would be happy moving.
3) Don’t give up if you don’t see what you want straight away. New positions appear every day so it’s worth checking regularly.
4) If or when you find an apprenticeship you like the look of, make sure you have the details of your education, qualifications (this includes things like music, dance, sport, drama and Duke of Edinburgh,) and work experience to hand so you can fill it out straight away.
5) Bear in mind that when you click ‘Apply for apprenticeship’, you may be taken to the employer’s website and have to fill out a specific form made by them for the position. The process may be different to the one described here.
6) The most important part of the application process is the three ‘about you’ questions. It could require a fair amount of work and shouldn’t be rushed. The questions ask you about: your strengths and examples of when you showed them; the skills you want to improve were you to be awarded the apprenticeship, and details of your hobbies, interests and personal achievements. Using words listed in the job advertisement will strengthen your application.
7) In the section asking about extra support in the interview, make sure you put something, even if you don’t require support. This section is designed for those with learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues or anything that might overly impede their success in the interview. If you do not suffer from any of these disadvantages, just politely say you don’t need any additional assistance.
8) Some employers will add an extra two questions to the form that relate more specifically to the role they are offering. Make sure you answer these questions as well as you did the other ones as they are not optional, and the employer may even be more interested in your answers to their tailored questions than to the more generic ones.
9) The process that happens after your application has been submitted is as follows. Applicants are shortlisted, put forward for an interview and then contacted to organise the beginning of employment. At every stage of the process, applicants are notified and given feedback if they are being rejected.
- By Ed Edwards
