A 4www.telegraph.co.uk/jobThursday, February 19, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHAPPRENTICESHIPS OVERVIEW and mobile communications — positions in IT are becoming a popular option, too. O2, the mobile phone company, has been taking on probationers for more than a decade and will be recruiting10 people this year into its Technology Advanced Apprenticeship for roles in Radio and Roaming, First Line Technical Support, Broadband and Eservices and others. Based in Leeds and Slough, the programme includes Spanish lessons and a visit to Telefónica in Madrid. Lucy Warren, programme development manager, says: “Our apprentices are talented individuals who bring a fresh perspective. The programme isThe Daily TelegraphWords of encouragement: Sir Alan Sugar is fronting up a TV campaign to encourage apprenticeshipsYOU’RE HIRED! A fter two decades of lean times, apprenticeships are making a comeback in the UK. There are now more than 200,000 people earning and learning on the job and the Government has promised more support for companies who want to invest in their workforce of the future. Already committed to spending almost £1billion on apprenticeships in 2009-10, the Government announced last month that it is to invest another £140million, meaning more than 250,000 people should begin training in the next year. Celebrity business guru Sir Alan Sugar is the public face of a TV campaign to encourage businesses to take on apprentices and young people to consider the option for themselves. He will also be supporting the Learning and Skills Council’s second annual National Apprenticeship Week from next Monday to Friday (Feb 23-27). He says he is impressed by the calibre of the new generation of tyros, who are key to the success of any business. “They’re ambitious, they’re doers and they make things happen,” he says. “Success is down to finding people like this — people that make businesses grow.” Apprenticeships now come in all shapes and sizes. World-leading engine maker Rolls-Royce, for example, has expanded its scheme to 220 places this year with government support. It has a tiered selection of initiates, depending on age, experience and management potential. Young apprentices are aged between 14 and 16 while advanced programmes are offered to older workers and those already employed by the company. Rolls-Royce also offers a Higher Apprenticeship for those taking on technical roles and a newlylaunched Leadership Scheme — a fast-track option for the most successful graduate trainees where they can gain an MSc in Engineering Business Management. Rolls-Royce head of learning services, Graham Schumacher, explains why the company investsTHE AGE-OLD FORMULA OF PASSING ON SKILLS THROUGH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING IS BACK IN VOGUE AND SEEN AS A WAY OF REVIVING THE BRITISH ECONOMY, WRITES THEA JOURDAN £30m each year in this area: “To continue developing world-leading products and services we must attract and develop talented people. “High value-added manufacturing makes a significant contribution to the wider economy and the investment in the skills of our people helps sustain competitiveness.” Apprenticeships are no longer restricted to the traditional trades, such as building and manufacturing. With the growing reliance on information technology — and spread of WiFidesigned to allow them to develop not only their technical abilities but also their life skills and experience. We are extremely proud of what they achieve.” Sainsbury’s is so pleased with its pilot apprenticeships in craft bakery, butchery and fishmongery that it has quadrupled its intake to 465. Tesco will take on a further 800 this year, Superdrug plans another 1,000 and Phones 4u intends to train at least 1,000 by April. Such schemes help to foster strong workforce loyalty and lead to greater productivity, according to David Way, National Director of Apprenticeships for the Learning and Skills Council. “Employers across all sectors report a high staff retention rate and 77 per cent say on-the-job training has improved their productivity and competitiveness, and helped create a more motivated workforce,” says Way. “Employees win, too, earning a decent wage while working towards a qualification.” www.apprenticeships.org@JOBS ONLINE: jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ careers-insiderJob search Sector SalesSearch results 495 job vacanciesLocation jobs.telegraph.co.ukFinding your perfect job could be easier than you think Search thousands of vacancies, from sales to engineering, online now at‘‘‘‘HELPING CAREERS TO TAKE OFF British defence and aerospace giant BAE Systems is proud of the high completion rate of its apprenticeships scheme — 82 per cent finish their training within the three years and more than 90 per cent stay the course in total. “Apprenticeships have been in the blood from day one for most of the companies that now make up BAE Systems,” says Richard Hamer, education partnerships director. “They offer the chance for young people to get a feel for the culture of the company and work on some world-beating projects, from the nuclearpowered Astute class submarine, to the Eurofighter Typhoon (pictured) and newgeneration security systems.” BAE Systems is a world leader in defence, security and aerospace with a global presence which spans six ‘home’ markets including the UK, US and Australia. RECRUITMENT “We recruit around 300 apprentices each year for our three-year programme so we have about 1,000 in training at any one time,” says Hamer. “Our apprenticeships vary depending on location — if you’re based in Barrow, for example, you’ll be concentrating on submarines; if you’re in Glasgow, your training will be centred on naval ships. “Most apprentices are schoolleavers aged16-17 years but we’re now seeing an increasing number of older people applying. Having a wider age range is a real positive: older people can bring different life skills and technical experience. “All programmes involve onthe-job training while working towards an NVQ level 3 qualification, with classes at a nearby further education college or in one of our own training centres. There is a strong pastoral culture of support and we are proud of our high completion rates .” STANDARDS “You might learn basic practical skills such as welding but, when you’re welding the outer skin on a submarine that needs to withstand the huge pressure hundreds of metres below sea level, the weld has to be of the highest standard,” says Hamer. ”World-class workmanship is vital to ensure every submarine is built to run for years without any manual intervention. “Apprentices at our Military Air Solutions site at Warton may be making and testing the electronics for the headsets worn by Typhoon pilots — sophisticated technology that enables vital information about fuel levels, hydraulics and missiles on-board to be displayed to the pilot. Apprentices also help build the Typhoons. The new planes are tested on-site, too — they can get a real kick out of watching the test flights. “Apprenticeships are about long-term investment in individuals and developing a highly-skilled, motivated and loyal workforce. This is borne out by our own figures. More than 200 have completed their training at our Warton and Salmesbury sites since 2002 and, seven years on, 95 per cent are still working for us.” ESME MCAVOYApprenticeships are no longer restricted to the traditional trades such as building and manufacturingSearchjobs.telegraph.co.uk
WHY LEARNING ON THE JOB IS BACK IN FASHION Page 4Trade and testedTRAINING IN STYLE WITH THE BAFTA HAIRDRESSER Page 6A cut above the restsarah hansonApprenticeshipscareers focusThe Daily Telegraph Thursday, February 19, 2009 jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ca in association withProduced by Telegraph Create Spec
A 4www.telegraph.co.uk/jobThursday, February 19, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHAPPRENTICESHIPS OVERVIEW and mobile communications — positions in IT are becoming a popular option, too. O2, the mobile phone company, has been taking on probationers for more than a decade and will be recruiting10 people this y
THE DAILY TELEGRAPHThursday, February 19, 2009www.telegraph.co.uk/jobA 5The Daily TelegraphSENIOR SKILLS APPRENTICESHIPSTHE AGE OF OPPORTUNITY TAKING PART IN AN APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME IS NO LONGER RESTRICTED TO THE YOUNG. ISLA WHITCROFT EXPLORES THE PROGRAMMES THAT ARE OPEN TO OLDER PEOPLE pprentices
A 6www.telegraph.co.uk/jobThursday, February 19, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHAPPRENTICESHIPS THE BIG INTERVIEWThe Daily TelegraphCUTTING EDGE CELEBRITY HAIRDRESSER CHARLES WORTHINGTON, MBE, IS FAMED FOR HIS CREATIVE SKILLS AND HIS HIGH-PROFILE CLIENTS. HE SEES APPRENTICESHIPS AS A KEY PART OF DEVELOPING
