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apprenticeships knowledge
external training body Intraining. There they Rebecca receives her Rising
learn more technical aspects of the job, in- Star Achievement award from
cluding: travel geography, tourism destina- Jane Schumm, Hays Travel’s
tions, air fares and ticketing, rules and north-east general manager
regulations, insurance and holiday packages. Inset: Katie Woods
They are expected to put these skills into
effect in their branch, where they are further
coached and developed by an in-store men-
tor until they are confident to start selling
on their own.
Over the course of the scheme, the ap-
prentice receives a visit from an Intraining
representative every six weeks, who assesses
their competency levels to ensure they are
on track with where they should be. Extra
one-on-one training will be provided if it’s
clear that the apprentice is struggling to pick
up a particular skill and is falling behind
with their development. There are also on-
line tests which they can complete in their CASE STUDY:
own time, plus study books to work through.
However, Bailey also underlines the need
for employers to “understand” young people. HAYS TRAVEL
“Employers shouldn’t forget that a lot of
apprentices are coming straight from school THE EMPLOYER THE APPRENTICE
and it’s a big transition into a job. They Katie Woods, training manager Rebecca Slater, based in Newcastle
shouldn’t make big allowances for them
but they should give them time to settle in,” Each year we take on 40 apprentices after I had always thought about a career in
he says. a vigorous selection process. There’s an travel when I was at school. When it came
interview process, customer service test to deciding about college, I opted for
What you need to invest and a day in one of branches where we applying for an apprenticeship scheme
As an employer, the biggest investment you assess them further. instead because I thought the hands-on
will make is in time, to support an apprentice. Their training with us begins with a experience would give me a better feel for
In terms of training costs, the Learning one-week induction so the new recruits the job and I would be able to apply my
and Skills Council (LSC) pays for all appren- understand the company and their job knowledge more quickly.
tices aged 16-18, and they will contribute role. Using roleplay and workshops, we The apprenticeship has provided me
50% if they are aged 19 or over. There is no provide them with some basic skills. with great skills and opportunities. I’ve
cap on the money available, provided em- After two or three weeks, we bring them learned about teamwork, problem solving,
ployers use an LSC-approved training to head office for two days of computer customer service and selling skills.
provider or set up a contract themselves. training. Then back in branch they’re The main challenge was getting used to
In most instances funding goes to the encouraged to start taking customer the technology: it would have been useful
training provider, meaning the only cost to details, ready for their colleague to check to have had a bit more training earlier on,
the employer is the apprentice’s wage. availability. By six months, we expect but I’ve got to grips with it now.
them to be at the stage where they can I’ve had some invaluable support from
SO HOW DO I SET UP
start selling holidays. head office and branch colleagues. This has
Their mentor at Hays can be any member been important, especially when I started,
AN APPRENTICESHIP of staff. However, we encourage employees as I don’t think I would have excelled oth-
SCHEME?
who have been with us three or four years erwise. I enjoy the job anyway but the
To secure the cream of the crop, employers
and are looking to become a manager, as added support was motivational: at Christ-
should start looking to recruit after it’s good experience for them. Intraining mas I won the Rising Star Achievement
Easter, as students take exams in April,
also works with them so they know at what Award for being a top seller, and I was
and afterwards normally begin job hunting.
level the apprentice needs to be at any point. signed off the apprenticeship six months
Training providers such as Intraining
(intraining.co.uk) will be able to offer
The scheme is successful. Some wrongly early as I had advanced so quickly.
more information about setting up an
assume that apprentices choose it as a last I’m now a consultant and in 12
apprenticeship scheme that fits your organisational option because they can’t get into college. months I’m hoping to do another course
structure. You can search for your local training provider
That simply isn’t the case: many appren- which will help me become a senior
through Train To Gain's website: traintogain.gov.uk
tices have achieved outstanding results member at Hays. In five years I’d like to
For more information about apprenticeship schemes,
at school. For the NVQ Level 3 they work be a manager here – I have no plans to
visit apprenticeships.org.uk
hard, too – it’s not an easy option! move elsewhere.
06.03.2009 39
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