Unique challenge to design new facebook app to help young people apply for apprenticeships is launched

Young budding creatives will be given the chance to design and develop a brand new app or game for the National Apprenticeship Service in a unique challenge launched today.

The challenge, which will culminate in a prototype Facebook app or game being launched in August, offers the chance for developers aged 16-24 to receive up to £13,000 of funding to turn their ideas into reality.

The ‘Can you hack it as an apprentice’ design challenge aims to help increase the number of young people starting Apprenticeships and respond to employers calling on young people to improve the quality of their Apprenticeship applications. As part of a wider campaign, the aim of the app or game is to raise awareness of Apprenticeships and help improve the quality of applications.

Rather than following a traditional route of appointing a creative agency to develop the new app, the National Apprenticeship Service will tap into the talent and creativity of young people to ensure the resulting design is developed by young people, for young people.

Individuals and teams who wish to submit an entry for the competition can do so by downloading the entry form and guidelines from www.apprenticeships.org.uk and submit their entry by 5pm on Friday 24th May.

A panel of judges from the creative industries will then select a shortlist of the five best ideas, with each developer receiving £3,000 to develop their design into a prototype beta version. Following testing, the most successful developer will then receive a further £10,000 to develop their app or game into a fully functioning product, which will be launched via the National Apprenticeship Service’s Facebook page in August.

David Way, Executive Director, National Apprenticeship Service said:
“We want to do more to help young people submit high quality applications for Apprenticeships and this project will support them to do that. I encourage any young person, or group of young people who are passionate about the digital world and helping young people to fulfil their potential, to submit an entry.”

Up to 17,000 quality Apprenticeship vacancies are available online at any one time at www.apprenticeships.org.uk, allowing young people to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and a real future.

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Vote for your Learner and Employer of the year! The VQ Awards 2013 are now open to nominations!

VQ Day 2013

The VQ Awards 2013 are now open to nominations!

There are two awards: Learner of the Year, and, new for 2013, Employer of the Year.

The awards celebrate the exceptional achievements of vocational learners, past and present, from across the UK. Awards will be presented in Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland.

To nominate an outstanding learner, simply download the nomination form HERE

Let's make VQ Day a day to remember and celebrate vocational success together!

The deadline for submissions for both VQ Awards is 3 May 2013.

Diwrnod VQ 2013

Mae Gwobrau Cymwysterau Galwedigaethol Gwobrau VQ 2013 bellach ar agor i enwebiadau!

Mae dwy wobr: Dysgwr y Flwyddyn ac, yn newydd ar gyfer 2013, Cyflogwr y Flwyddyn.

Mae'r gwobrau yn dathlu cyraeddiadau eithriadol dysgwyr galwedigaethol, ddoe a heddiw, o bob cwr o'r DU. Caiff gwobrau eu cyflwyno yng

Nghymru, yr Alban, Lloegr a Gogledd Iwerddon.

I enwebu dysgwr rhagorol, lawrlwythwch y ffurflen enwebu YMA

Gwnewch yn siwr bod Diwrnod VQ yn un i'w gofio a gadewch i ni ddathlu llwyddiant galwedigaethol gyda'n gilydd!

Y dyddiad cau ar gyfer cyflwyno enwebiadau ar gyfer y ddwy Wobr VQ yw 3 Mai 2013.

For more information visit the VQ Day website

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t2 celebrate St David’s Day

The 1st March is a significant day for the Welsh and is celebrated throughout the country to celebrate the patron Saint, Dewi Sant, or St David who died on that day in 589AD.

To mark the day, Welsh people around the world wear one or both national emblems – a daffodil or leek – and celebrate at special concerts and processions.

t2 Business Solutions held their own St David’s Day celebration by holding a Welsh themed day and having a Welsh cake stall. Thanks to the t2 staff, we raised £84 on the day, and the proceeds were given to a Welsh charity called Ty Hafan who provide comfort, care and support to life-limited children, young people and their families throughout Wales.

Since 1999 Ty Hafan have helped over 400 families by offering short break care to give families desperately needed time-out as well as providing relief and support outside the hospice, at home and in the community to ensure that each child has a comprehensive care programme. To find out more about the charity, visit the Ty Hafan website.

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High tuition fees boost apprenticeships applications with Business Administration being the most popular in 2012

In the wake of rising university fees apprenticeships are becoming increasingly popular with both students and recruiters. Universities have seen a downturn in applications and it seems that students are starting to look at options outside of the university route.

For recruiters, taking on people straight from school offers the chance to mould young people in the way of their business. For students, they offer a realistic alternative to what has become the usual next step.

The real sign that apprenticeships are gaining momentum and popularity is the sheer volume of applications and vacancies. New data shows there were almost 1,127,000 apprenticeship applications submitted and 106,510 vacancies advertised online in 2012.

The research also reveals that the most popular apprenticeship was in business and administration.

July was one of the most popular months to apply for an apprenticeship, generating 124,770 applications. Meanwhile, Thursday 16 August (A-level results day) was the most popular day to apply, with nearly 5,730 applications submitted.

Although there was a pretty even split between genders, slightly more applications came from males than females – 56% and 43% respectively. That said, more women are taking up apprenticeships; the number of young women applying for apprenticeships has grown by about 40% year-on-year, from 31,262 in November 2011 to 44,851 in November 2012.*

The research showed that overall there were more than 10 applications submitted online for every vacancy.

t2 have certainly seen a rise in both applicants for apprenticeships and employers offering the vacancies. This is giving us a wider audience to cater for and in turn helping us place many more individuals into apprenticeship schemes that are best suited to that individual and to the employer.

If you are an employer and are looking to employ an apprentice then please contact us for more information. If you have a vacancy you would like to advertise email it through to our apprenticeship team on info@t2apprenticeships.co.uk or fill out the online vacancy form.

*Statistical references – The Guardian

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5 reasons why an apprentice can benefit your business

Despite the gloomy economic climate, there’s never been a better time to recruit an apprentice, and firms that do report real benefits.

Here are 5 reasons why your business can reap the rewards of an apprentice.

1. By training an apprentice from a young age you end up with a qualified employee, with no bad habits, that you can trust to do things your way.

2. Apprentices help secure a supply of skills and expertise within your business – which is especially important if you have an ageing workforce - 83% of employers rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future.

3. Apprentices tend to stay with an organisation once training is complete so staff turnover tends to be lower - 57% report a high proportion of their apprentices going on to management positions within the company

4. Young people tend to bring new ideas and enthusiasm to a business and this can create innovation and a positive affect on the rest of your workforce and therefore increasing motivation.

5. They can save you money on recruitment and training - 59% of businesses report that training apprentices is more cost-effective than hiring skilled staff, with 59% believing that Apprenticeships lead to lower overall training costs and 53% feeling that they reduce recruitment costs

If you would like more information on recruiting an apprentice or if you are looking to do an apprenticeship please contact t2 business.

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t2 apprenticeship Academy opens in Bristol

t2 have set up a new initiative based in Bristol called t2 apprenticeship Academy. The Academy is a unique programme of tailored employability training and work experience which will eventually lead to an apprenticeship placement. The scheme focuses on 16-17 year old school leavers and the main goal is to get them into the workplace in a career that suits them.

The t2 apprenticeship Academy for young people is 20 weeks of intensive employability training combined with work experience, leading to a guarantee of at least 5 suitable interviews for full time jobs at the end.

The employers interviewing at the end of the programme will be looking for the exact skills developed throughout the programme.

The main features of the Academy consist of:

• Developing employability skills – these are essential things like interview skills, teamwork and behavior in the workplace
• Developing work experience – expanding their CV with relevant work experience and getting a feel for the right career path
• Getting a relevant qualification – once the right career path has been chosen, t2 will take them through a meaningful and stretching highly recognised vocational qualification in the chosen area through a mix of work experience and day release
• Improving Maths and English – maths and english are becoming more and more important to employers. If their level of maths and english is not GCSE A* - C, we will develop them through Functional Skills Qualifications in these areas to ensure they can progress in their chosen career
• Confidence – ensuring they are work ready and confident to progress into employment or if they prefer, higher levels of training/education at the end of the 20 weeks

The apprenticeship academy has been developed to be a building block for young people wanting to progress into a fulfilling career. t2 will certain keep you informed with the developments of their academy recruits and their success stories within the workplace.

If you would like to find out more information about the t2 apprenticeship Academy please call Sara Withers, Centre Manager on 07881 245 254 or Jo Harvey, Recruitment & Employer Engagement Manager on 07881 245 256.

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How long should an apprenticeship last?

According to a recent report from the government, Apprenticeships in England should last for at least a year and genuinely train someone in a new role.

It warns that too often the traditional relationship between the employer and the person being trained has been lost by having such a short training programme.

There has been a rapid increase in the number of apprenticeships in England in recent years, with successive governments urging young people to consider them instead of university.

But there are concerns about quality, with some as short as three months.

t2 business solutions already show this commitment to apprenticeship course length. Level 2 apprenticeships have a course duration of at least 13 months and level 3 of at least 15 month. t2 believe it is important that the apprentices settle into the business that the are working in so that they can evolve and possibly gain a permanent position with that company.

If someone who has been in their job for some time and then becomes an apprentice, it shows commitment from both parties and by having at least a year long training programme, the business is really securing a valued member of staff.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said it is vital that the qualifications and assessment involved in every apprenticeship are rigorous, trusted, and give employers confidence in the ability of their apprentices.

t2 business solutions launch new and improved website

t2 business solutions are proud to launch their new corporate website, www.t2business.co.uk. This new exciting site is fresh, modern, and showcases the training solutions t2 can provide for all businesses across the UK.

The website is a responsive development to our users needs including features such as a comprehensive guide to Apprenticeships, Essential Skills, Leadership and Management training and other bespoke training and coaching courses, latest news and an employers area where new apprenticeship vacancies can be uploaded easily to feature on our t2 apprenticeships website.

t2 have a simple approach to working with their clients – make it easy to do business. Therefore the website is straight to the point and only shows the information you really need to get your employees in training to enhance their skills and to bring on new apprentices.

Contact t2 business solutions to see how we can help you improve your business productivity, develop staff skills and motivate your workforce.