Now you can earn while you learn

Would you like to continue your studies and earn money at the same time? If so, why not think about doing an Apprenticeship? Apprentices are paid to do a job but get to do great work-related qualifications at the same time, including NVQs and technical certificates.

They spend most of their time learning on the job, building up valuable knowledge and skills. The length of time to complete varies, depending on the job you’re doing, your age and how much experience you have.

Once you complete an Apprenticeship, you can move up the career ladder – and continue your training if you want, by progressing to an Advanced Apprenticeship possibly leading on to an HNC/D or even a foundation degree.

Employers can benefit too

You may be an employer with staff who you feel would benefit from training within a specific job area. Perhaps you’ve a vacancy that you need to fill. Why not consider the Apprenticeship programme?

The benefits of recruiting an Apprentice are:

• Apprenticeships allow you to develop your workforce for the future and help reduce staff turnover.
• Apprenticeships have been designed by employers, which means they will meet your needs.
• Apprenticeships can help you create skilled, trained and qualified staff.
• Apprenticeships are not just for new staff, they can also be a way of developing existing staff.

Apprenticeships can open up a new world

An Apprenticeship at Blackpool and the Fylde College can open up a whole new world for you – just ask Sophia Hilton and Chris Bennett.

Both were Advanced Apprentices and have enjoyed tremendous success in the hairdressing industry. Chris had aspirations to open his own salon at the age of just 18, while Sophia, 20, has won 16 national and international medals in the last two years. She works as a style director at Regis in Manchester and last year won the City & Guilds Medal of Excellence 2007 out of 1.5 million candidates.

Nominated and shortlisted to the last six for the L’Oreal Academy in London in 2007, Sophie was also nominated for the prestigious British Lion Award and received ‘highly commended’ in the recent North West Apprenticeship Awards. And she capped a memorable year when she travelled to London to receive the Tallow Chandlers City & Guilds Award for outstanding achievement in industry out of 750,000 nominations.

Chris now has his own shop in Poulton Road, Fleetwood, and is even ready to take on his own Apprentice from the College!

For more details email apprenticeships@blackpool.ac.uk or call 01253 504318/504313

To find out more about Apprenticeship study at Blackpool and The Fylde College, please visit our
Apprenticeships Section