So you want to employ a lighting apprentice? Here's your starting point.
Jess Gallacher
Head of Exterior & Environment ASD Lighting ~ Vice Chair ILP Birmingham
It is easy to get lost in confusion when it comes to apprenticeships, with different initiatives and schemes seemingly launched on a weekly basis. That's why the ILP has come up with a simple, tried and tested, apprentice route, broken down here into six simple steps:
Find a local college and ask them to identify any suitable students they have. These will generally be 16-18 year olds without a sponsor who are on a Foundation Diploma course in an appropriate subject for your company, e.g. electrical engineering.
Carry out interviews – many colleges will help you with the arrangements and process. You may also want to arrange a week’s internship where the student will gain work experience and you will see how they could fit into your workplace.
Make a job offer. Typically you will employ the student full time and they will attend college one day a week.
When they turn 18, register the apprentice for ILP apprentice membership and book them on to attend the ILP Exterior Lighting Diploma.
About funding: you can expect the college to apply for the necessary grants. Funding is currently available in England for 600 hours of guided learning per year. Some apprentices take out a student loan for the balance. You could add an incentive by agreeing to pay their loan upon successful completion of their studies and a certain length of satisfactory employment with you.
Make sure they complete their studies! The college will suggest further training opportunities and don’t forget the ILP Exterior Lighting Diploma Completion Project can be submitted as one module for an HNC project.