A government-funded programme is designed to give schools and other educational establishments across England free support to develop and transform how your students think about apprenticeships. Further information on the full offering can be found in the ASK brochure and explainer video. What that support looks like for you will depend on your establishment’s size, focus and requirements, but it could include an “inspiring apprenticeship awareness” assembly, apprenticeship application workshop, careers fair attendance, free resources, a teacher CPD session or a whole range of other options. 

This workbook is designed for individuals aged 16-19 who might be considering an apprenticeship in the future. The workbook is designed to last 20 hours although some parts take slightly longer or slightly less time to complete. To make the most of this workbook you will need to complete all activities and participate in the discussions with your parents/carers, friends and tutor as instructed at various points throughout this workbook. This workbook has been designed to be very flexible so that you can work through it on your own at a time that suits you and as part of a group or class. 

This Teacher’s Guide has been created to support the Apprenticeship Pack for 16-19 year olds. The five group sessions are labelled A, B, C, D and E that will follow the completion of 3 sessions at a time. This means that you will be able to set your students the task of working through the workbook on their own and then bring the group back together again to check and embed their learning by using the activity sheets and instructions. After each of the group sessions, there is a self-assessment questionnaire covering 10 knowledge points that relate to section A, B, C, D and E. This page requires a signature from the student, the teacher and parent/carer.

Whilst this guide is directed towards apprentices, the information may also be useful for parents, carers and other groups who offer advice and guidance.

Amazing Apprenticeships deliver national projects designed to inform and inspire England’s students about apprenticeships on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service. They arrange bespoke support packages for schools and colleges who want to increase awareness of apprenticeships. They create and deliver resources from posters and guides to films and live broadcasts with some of the country's most prestigious employers. Amazing Apprenticeships have a wealth of informative resources, helping to explain apprenticeships whether you are a parent, teacher or thinking of becoming an apprentice yourself. 

Find an activity provider- This tool allows schools to search for careers activities within their vicinity to fit their own local needs. It will also help them to meet the Gatsby benchmarks e.g. Gatsby Benchmark 7 which states: 

“By the age of 16, every pupil should have had a meaningful encounter with a provider of the full range of learning opportunities.” 

The Careers & Enterprise Company invest in careers activity providers across England, helping them to deliver activities with schools and colleges.

Compass helps you to evaluate our school’s careers activity against best practice. The evaluation is based on the Gatsby Good Career Guidance Benchmarks. The tool is free to use and created in partnership with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

The KCC website information offers advice and guidance about apprenticeships and traineeships.  It also offers links to the Kent Choices application website.

This network consists of over 1000 people working in education and training across England who promote the apprenticeship brand. You can locate your nearest Champion by visiting their website.

Whilst most students associate UCAS with applying to university, UCAS also has a dedicated section to further education, including apprenticeships and traineeships. They provide a breakdown of types of apprenticeships, entry requirements and how to apply. They also include opportunities beyond intermediate apprenticeships for learners wishing to pursue a higher or degree level apprenticeship.

This page provides information on how to apply for apprenticeships using GOV.UK’s service, what to do in the event that you are unsuccessful for the apprenticeship and conditions of pay.

notgoingtouni.co.uk is now one of the UK's leading websites dedicated to helping school and college leavers make informed decisions about their future by showing the opportunities that exist outside of traditional university, such as apprenticeships, sponsored degrees, diplomas, gap years, distance learning and jobs.

GetMyFirstJob provides information and apprenticeship vacancies across a variety of sectors providing opportunities to connect employers with potential apprentices. In addition, they also provide information about traineeships for those who may not yet be ready for an apprenticeship.

The National Careers Service offers a job profile section, which is an online database with information on over 800 jobs, you will find out more about the job, the salary, the entry requirements and training and the skills required for the job.

Careerpilot is an amazing tool for both students and parents who are looking to explore possible career options, providing expert careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds, all in one place.

Career Development Framework 

'Career' describes our journey through life, learning and work. We need actively to develop our careers to make the best of them. This process of career development takes skill as well as knowledge and the right attitude. Individuals need to work on their career development skills throughout their lives.