How to write a winning apprenticeship application 2018/19 My name is ‘insert name’ and I’m here on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service to talk to you about the apprenticeship application process and to share some tips about how it works and how you can prepare. This is a summary of how the apprenticeship application process works but more details guidance is available in the document How to write a winning apprenticeship application which is on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/442593/How-to-write-winning-application.pdf

The application process Every apprenticeship employer will decide the most appropriate recruitment process for their organisation – but generally speaking, it will be something like this: Register on the Find an apprenticeship site Search for vacancies you are interested in and save/ set up alerts Apply If you are successful you will be shortlisted You may then be asked to complete online tests, which could include • Situational Judgement Questionnaire – assesses your decision making • Measurement of Competencies (management) – assesses the way you like to work • Verbal Reasoning Assessment – assesses your ability to understand complex written information • Numerical Reasoning Assessment – assesses your ability to understand complex numerical data If successful you will be invited to interview. If not, remember to ask for feedback Depending on the company, it could be a phone interview, followed by a 2nd stage face to face or group interview Job Offer!

Apprenticeship application tips Today’s session is going to help you to prepare for writing your applications. Before you even start to answer the questions on the form, there are some important things to think about and be aware of. Try to use a sensible email address. Many candidates have email addresses that are very inappropriate and may put employers off. Always try to include a telephone number if you have got one, it is important that training providers and employers can contact you to discuss your application if they need to. If you change any of your personal details such as email address or mobile number, don’t forget to change them in Settings Practice writing your statement in a word document first, then you can cut and paste it into the box when you’re happy with how it reads Remember to check the spelling and punctuation Give yourself enough time Don’t underestimate how long it can take to complete a ‘stand out’ application Also some employers will focus on the opening date rather than the closing date and if they receive a lot of applications, they may close it early. Make sure you are ready to apply and try not to leave it to the last minute.

Application tips When you look at the apprenticeship job profiles, you will be able to see the qualifications that the employers are asking for. It is important to look to see if you are eligible in terms of the grades, but remember that employers are also looking for what you are like as an individual and how employable you are. If the employer is asking for GCSE grades A*-C and you did not achieve these grades, it could still be worth applying for the job. You would need to say that you were willing to work towards achieving Functional Skills within the duration of the apprenticeship framework. If you do not have any relevant work experience then consider taking the initiative to set some up. This could be one day at the weekend or in the holidays. You don’t have to rely on the work experience that your school might have set up for you. Have a look through the job advert and either print it off and circle all of the buzz words, or write them all down so that you have a checklist of the kinds of words that you could try to include in the ‘About You’ section of the application form. We will explain more about buzz words on the next slide. Before you start, gather together any useful documents e.g. UCAS Personal Statement – Curriculum Vitae (CV) – Any practice application forms that you have completed – Personal Statement – Achievement Portfolio – Copies of Certificates

Buzz words Here is an example of some of the buzz words to look out for in the job advert. Activity idea: Ask students to come up with some examples of how they could demonstrate some of these key words

The application form When you are using Find an apprenticeship, if you decided that you want to apply for the vacancy you may see two different options. If the green button appears – this means that the employer is using the standard application form. Some employers will decide to use their own website for recruitment though., so if you see a message like this (click) then it means that you are going to be re-directed to the employer’s website. Today – we are looking at the standard application form. There are 3 main questions plus two additional questions that you will need to answer What are your main strengths What skills would you like to improve during this apprenticeship? What are your hobbies and interests? Intro to next activity We are going to look at the detail of these questions later on, but first of all – let’s take a look at some real examples of applications that were submitted. We’ve completely anonymised these so that you can’t see any of the individual’s personal details.

Activity 1: What does a good application look like? Read the applications provided + / - Spot the things that are good and could be improved Write down all of your ideas Share them with the rest of the class We will provide examples of applications that have been anonymised that you can use with the class Look at the examples of apprenticeship applications being circulated to the class In small groups, look through these applications and try to spot all of the good points within the responses given and also where you think the application could have improved their application. Come up with a list that you can share with your classmates

Activity 2: Working on your personal answers Activity 2 Ask the students to feedback some of the answers/ key points they have talked about for this questions and then go through the above slide Remember to give examples of your strengths if you can. For example, if the employer asks for ‘Good communication skills’ then you need to tell them that you have ‘Good communication skills’ but also think about how you could back this up with evidence of these skills. For example, you could say something like this: ‘I believe that I have extremely good communication skills. I have given presentations in front of large audiences in whole year assemblies and I have also talked in front of groups in the classroom. As a 6th form Ambassador, I have been involved in open evenings where I have spoken to groups of parents and prospective students about my experience of the 6th form. I also have excellent written communication skills and I am confident speaking on the telephone’ Or you could say something like this: ‘I feel that I have very good communication skills. As a keen team member of a local football team, it is crucial that we communicate constantly when on the pitch to ensure that everyone can work together to win the game. I have been praised by the team captain for the way that I communicate effectively on the pitch, saying that I am calm, motivational and fair’

Working on your personal answers Activity Ask the students to feedback some of the answers/ key points they have talked about for this questions and then go through the above slide. You only need to write a good paragraph of a few sentences that answer the question, but in a clever way and linked directly to the job that you are applying for. For example, if you were going for a job in the IT Industry you could say something like this: ‘I would like to improve my knowledge and awareness of the latest programming techniques being used in the workplace to increase efficiency and decrease costs to the employer’

Working on your personal answers Activity – Ask the students to feedback some of the answers/ key points they have talked about for this questions and then go through the above slide Be careful about what you write in this section. You need to remember that the employer will use this section (and all of the application form) to start to create an impression of the kind of person that you are. It is quite likely that if you are invited for interview, that the employer will use this section to help to ‘break-the-ice’ and make you feel more comfortable in your interview. They might start by asking you something like ‘So (your name), I notice from your application form that you are a interested in films. What was the last film that you saw and what did you like about it

How do you find an apprenticeship? To find an apprenticeship visit GOV.UK and search for apprenticeships Good luck with your applications!