Apprenticeships and jobs

If your teenager wants to get into a particular type of work then full-time training or employment might be a good option for them.

Year 11 school leavers can start work or training full-time after the last Friday in June. If they have not yet found employment they can register for work at their local Connexions centre. We will help them to find a job or a training place. 

Full-time training

There are lots of courses available that focus on work-based learning. BTECs can help your teenager learn about a particular area of work for example engineering, childcare or business. NVQs and City and Guilds will give your teenager the skills they need for a particular job for example hairdressing, sales or plumbing.

Apprenticeships

Apprentices learn on the job, building up knowledge and skills and gaining qualifications at the same time. Apprenticeships lead to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), Key Skills qualifications and, in most cases, a technical certificate such as a BTEC or City & Guilds. There are a wide range of apprenticeships available from accountancy, to construction, and beauty therapy.

Apprentices get paid by their employer. How much will depend on the company they work for, but they will be paid at least the minimum wage of £2.65 an hour (£2.68 from 1 October 2013). If your teenager is an employed apprentice, you will not usually be able to go on claiming Child Benefit. You can find out more about apprenticeships on our young people's website.

Employment

If your teenager is thinking of going straight into work, encourage them to continue with part-time learning. Going straight into an unskilled job without training can mean low wages and poor career prospects. The law says that 16 and 17 year olds have the right to time off work to study for qualifications up to level 2 (GCSEs at grades A to C or NVQ level 2) if they haven’t already got them.

National Minimum Wage

	21 and over	18 to 20	Under 18	Apprentice*
Rate until 30 September 2013	£6.19	£4.98	£3.68	£2.65
Rate from 1 October 2013	£6.31	£5.03	£3.72	£2.68

*This rate is for apprentices under 19 or those in their first year. For those 19 or over and past their first year they get the rate that applies to their age. 

Not working and claiming benefits

Most 16 and 17 year olds cannot get benefits. They can ask about benefits when they register for work at our Connexions centre. You can find out more about benefits on our young people's site.

Foundation Learning

If you think your teenager is not ready to go straight into training or employment then going on a Foundation Learning programme to help them prepare might be a good option. This can help them to improve their key skills in English, numeracy and IT and get them ready to start training or employment. You can find out more about Foundation Learning on our young people's website.

 

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