Supporting your child into an apprenticeship
My son always found it easier to learn in a practical way rather than in the traditional classroom setting, so post GCSE, he decided to attend college and study a vocational course rather than A-Levels at school.
We looked at the various courses and he chose to study a Level 3 BTech in Construction and the Built Environment as he was interested in a career in Civil Engineering. As part of his college course, he completed work experience placements, both on-line and in person at a few companies, which gave him an idea of some of the careers in his chosen field. During the last year at college, we started discussing his options post 18, whether he wanted to apply for university or look for an apprenticeship, again, he chose the more practical option - an apprenticeship.
We encouraged him to look at Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (HOP) as it contained lots of resources about career options, but also links to apprenticeship programmes that he could apply for. We also took him to one of the Hertfordshire Generation events as he could meet and talk to prospective employers and whilst at the event, he managed to secure some more work experience for a company the summer after he completed his college course. He also attended an apprenticeship open evening at a civil engineering company based in Herts that he had completed work experience at to learn about opportunities and speak to staff.
The process of starting applications began whilst he was still at college, hoping that he would find a role for that coming summer. He began with his CV, detailing not only his academic qualifications, but also work experience completed, his weekend job and other achievements including Scouting and Duke of Edinburgh awards. He then developed a personal statement which expanded on his knowledge, experience and passions. He applied for two apprenticeships, one was the local company he attended the open evening at and the other was a company he had seen on HOP. He adapted the personal statement so it was relevant to the role he was applying for and was fortunately offered interviews for both companies.
In preparation for the interview, he researched more about the companies via their websites and looked at the job description to understand more about the particular roles. We also sat with him and asked him to think about potential questions they could ask at the interview so he could think about his answers in advance. We looked at why he was applying for the role, what experience he already had, examples of how he could work as part of a team or by himself, examples of how he solved problems, positives and negatives about himself, all of which are common questions in interviews. He made notes so he could look at them several times leading up to the interview and we sat with him and practiced answering the questions.
He had both interviews on-line, but treated them as if they were in person, so made sure he was smartly dressed and blurred his background so they could not see his bedroom. Unfortunately, one company had internal issues, so they were halting the application process, but the other phoned a few days later to say how impressed they were and invited him to a second interview in person at their headquarters. We were really proud as securing a second interview was a big achievement.
In advance of the second interview, we talked again about questions he could ask, why he wanted the role, examples of his experience etc, so that he could go in there and be as confident as possible and convince them why he should get the role. At the interview he was asked to complete a practical exercise, to build a sprinkler head from the parts, without instructions. All those years of building Lego sets paid off and he completed it really quickly, which impressed the panel. He was also able to relax into the conversation and came out feeling really positive. A few days later, they called and offered him the apprenticeship, Level 3 Test Engineer and they wanted him to start as soon as he finished his college course. He is now nearly nine months into the apprenticeship and loving it.
As parents, we supported him totally with his decision to look for an apprenticeship as we knew it would be the best route for him to further his education but working at the same time. We supported him through the whole process, encouraged him to look at resources such as HOP, attending the Generation event and then helping him to prepare for the interview. But, at the end of the day, he was the one in the interview and he was the one that demonstrated why he was the right person for the role and he is now the one proving to himself that he made the right choice going for an apprenticeship. It did not matter to him that the level apprenticeship is the same as the college course as this will allow him to develop his skills and confidence and he will have the opportunity to take higher lever qualifications in the future.
What I haven’t mentioned until now is that my son has autism. He was at a mainstream school and does not have complex needs but his condition does impact on his confidence, communication and how he interacts with others. He has proved to himself that he is capable of securing an apprenticeship and thriving in it and that his autism should not be seen as a barrier. His employer is really supportive and have never viewed his condition as a problem, in fact it makes him more passionate about the field he is working in and uses it to his advantage.
I would fully recommend looking at apprenticeships as an option to further education whilst working at the same time. Apprenticeships allow a person to work, earn and learn in a practical way and are credible alternative to university.
Sally Stanley
