Training Trust work based learning for young trainees
Information, Advice & Guidance

SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE

We want all applicants to be fully informed about their choice of occupation, having read through the details of the programme, additional information is available from our Recruitment & Guidance Officer, details on our Contact Us page. Applicants who fail to achieve the standard required at initial assessment will be given the opportunity to attend an Advice & Guidance interview, alternatively applicants should contact their local Connexions office to get further support and information.

Apprentices on programme have a personal Liaison Officer responsible for their welfare during their training. They will meet a member of our team weekly on their college training day and their personal Liaison Officer at their 8 weekly review meeting.

Further advice and guidance is available from our Recruitment & Guidance Officer throughout the programme.

HOW CAN I FIND A JOB?

Once you have chosen the occupation you want to work in. You need to decide where you want to work and the type of company you want to work for. You then need to prepare information about yourself (c.v.) and write an accompanying letter that you can send to a potential employer. Although we can assist you in finding an employer it is important that you prepare information and start the search as early as possible.

Once you have decided the type of company you want to work for you can search for their details in a number of places.
  • Search on Google using words such as ‘Nurseries, Waltham Forest’
  • Look in directories such as Thomsons or Yellow Pages or look at their websites and use search options to meet your criteria
  • Look in local newspapers and see who is advertising for staff. Larger construction companies may have a Head Office some distance from your home, but may work locally
  • Take details from Plumber, Electricians vans you see in your local area
  • Ask relatives, friends, neighbours if they know of anyone working in your chosen occupational area, who may be willing to take you on
  • Contact our Recruitment & Guidance Office and ask to come along to our Job Club
  • Administration vacancies can be found in most types of companies and the types of jobs can vary enormously, anything from Estate Agents to Doctors Surgeries
CV GUIDANCE

When applying for a job you will need to send details of yourself, your qualifications and any work experience to a potential employer, this is known as a C.V. (Curriculum Vitae), this is what it should include;
  • Name
  • Address
  • Education
  • Qualifications achieved/anticipated grades
  • Employment history/work experience
  • Interests and hobbies
  • Referees
This should be accompanied by a brief letter to the company explaining the type of position and the Apprenticeship programme you are applying for. It is better to contact several companies, the more the better. Companies are busy, they need time to consider your application and you often won’t get any response. They may also not need anyone when they receive your application, so it may be worth re-contacting them in a couple of months to see if things have changed.

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

You will be asked to attend an interview with the employer, here are a few tips to a successful interview;
  • Look smart, clean and tidy
  • Know where you have to go, who you have to ask for, plan your route beforehand
  • Don’t be late, give yourself plenty of time to arrive
  • Dress appropriately, you are not going out for the evening, keep jewellery to a minimum and avoid wearing trainers
  • Think about questions to ask, write them down if you think you might forget them
  • Give full answers to any questions asked of you, not just Yes or No answers
  • Find out about the company or the occupational area before the interview and ask questions about either
  • Don’t rush the interview, give yourself plenty of time
  • Don’t chew gum
  • Don’t wear baseball caps
  • Don't look bored and disinterested
JOB CLUB

During our main recruitment period March – October we have a regular Job Club which will give you the opportunity of getting support from our Recruitment & Guidance Officer in finding a suitable employer. If you feel you would like to attend please contact us by telephone and we will let you know when the next meeting will be.

EMA’s

If you are unable to find an employer to pay you a salary, you may be eligible for an EMA (Educational Maintenance Allowance), further information will be available through our Job Club

TRAIN TO GAIN

Train To Gain is a newly funded programme by the Learning & Skills Council. It offers free impartial, independent advice in training to employers. The aim of Train To Gain is to provide training to build skills, confidence and knowledge of the workforce and increase productivity.

We are able to offer training through Train To Gain funding to employees aged 19 years and over in the following areas.

  • Children's Care, Learning & Development NVQ Level 2
  • Children's Care, Learning & Development NVQ Level 3
  • Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools NVQ Level 2
  • Customer Service NVQ Level 2
Candidates are required to attend flexible workshops and in some cases these can be delivered in the workplace, assessment takes place in the workplace with a minimum disruption to working practices. Candidates are individually assessed to identify their needs and an Individual Training Plan is completed to inform how the programme will be delivered.

For further information on how this could benefit your organisation, please contact:

Sheila Gammans, Sales & Marketing Officer
Tel: 020 8518 1344
Mobile: 07951 048126
Email: sheilagammans@trainingtrust.org.uk