How to find an employer for your Apprenticeship 

What is an Apprenticeship? 

An Apprenticeship is a real, paid job which mixes on-the-job training with coming to college (typically) one day a week for classroom learning. You will spend 30 – 40 hours a week in the workplace developing your skills, knowledge and industry contacts. 

As it is a real job, you will need an employer to work for just like all employees. If you want to do an Apprenticeship but you don’t have an employer lined up, you won’t be able to complete the largest part of any Apprenticeship – the on-the-job training. 

Click here to find an employer with a live vacancy! 

If there are no vacancies that interest you, you can find your own with a brand-new employer. Here’s what you can do: 

Gain work experience 

Before applying for an Apprenticeship, we recommend gaining experience in the industry that you’re interested in and asking the employer if they would consider taking on an Apprentice once it finishes. Work experience is extremely valuable and is something that will set you apart from other applicants when employers are looking to hire an Apprentice. 

If for any reason the employer cannot support you in an Apprenticeship, you have still massively enhanced your CV for when you next apply to a vacancy or employer. 

Hand out CVs 

It might seem like the most traditional method of them all but it does still work. Once you have competed your CV and you’ve made the decision as to what sort of Apprenticeship you would like to do, call in to businesses that operate in that industry and introduce yourself. Ask them if they would be interested in an Apprentice and make sure you leave your CV behind with your contact details on. 

Make contact with local employers 

If you haven’t yet decided what Apprenticeship you want to study and are just enquiring, get in touch with a local employer! Give them a ring, call in or send them an email. It will help if you have a CV to hand them as well. Again, leave them your contact details, our Apprentice Recruitment Team's contact details and pass the employer’s details on to them as well. There’s no harm in asking. 

Speak to our Apprentice Recruitment Team 

If an employer informs you that they would like to take you on as an Apprentice, congratulations! In this instance you will need to take their contact details and send them on to the Apprentice Recruitment Team (apprenticerecruitment@sheffcol.ac.uk). The recruitment team will then arrange for a vacancy to be created with that employer which you will then be able to fill. 

To find out more about Apprenticeships at The Sheffield College, please visit our website or email apprenticerecruitment@sheffcol.ac.uk