If you are a school leaver, currently unemployed or looking to start a new career, we can help you to find the right Apprenticeship and employer for you. Alternatively, if you already employed, we can work with your employer to help you become their Apprentice.

What is an Apprenticeship?

An Apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to get into the world of work and earn real money whilst gaining nationally recognised qualifications.

As the Apprenticeship is a work based qualification, you will need to be employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week and have time to study, usually this is one day per week. As Barnsley College is an ‘Outstanding College’, with over 35 Apprenticeship programmes, you can be sure there’s an Apprenticeship for you.

There are three types of Apprenticeships available:
• Intermediate Apprenticeship at Level 2
• Advanced Apprenticeship at Level 3
• Higher Apprenticeship at Level 4 (subject to the vocational subject area)

Why become an Apprentice?

There are many benefits to doing an Apprenticeship which include:
• Earn a wage
• Receive holiday pay
• Gain new qualifications and industry standard training
• Gain new knowledge and job specific skills
• Gain real work experience that will give you a competitive edge
• Meet new people and develop new opportunities

How do you become an Apprentice?

To become an Apprentice, you either need to be employed in that role or find an employer who is recruiting an Apprentice.  However, we can help you find employment as we have a regular supply of job vacancies across a number of areas. Having an up-to-date CV may help you when applying for positions.

All of our vacancies are advertised on the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service website Simply log on to the site and search for the vacancies Barnsley College has listed.

To see our current vacancies, click here.

Common Apprenticeship Questions
1. Is there an age limit to do an Apprenticeship?
No, you have to be a minimum of 16 years of age to apply for an Apprenticeship.

2. Are Apprenticeships for new employees only?
No, Apprenticeships are for all, whether you are an existing member of staff or a new employee.

3. What are the entry requirements of an Apprenticeship?
You must be:
• Aged 16 or over
• Currently living in England

4. How will I be trained?
An Apprenticeship is a work based qualification. Each programme has its own Apprenticeship Framework, set by the industry, which will enable you to develop the knowledge and practical skills you need for the workplace. As part of your Apprenticeship you will work towards an NVQ, technical certificate and Key Skills/Functional Skills.

5. How much will I get paid?
If you are under 19, or aged 19+ and in your first year of your programme, then your employer must pay you at least £2.60 per hour, however, many Apprentices earn significantly more than that.

If you are 19 when you have completed the first year of your Apprenticeship, your employer must pay you at least the full minimum wage for your age.  More information can be found on the Directgov website.

6. How many hours will Apprentices be expected to work per week?
Apprentices work a maximum of 40 hours per week.

7. How long will it take to complete my Apprenticeship?
Each course will take approximately 12-24 months to complete.

8. What qualification will I achieve?
You will gain a nationally recognised qualification dependent upon the level of study you undertake.  They all lead to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) either at Level 2 (Intermediate Apprenticeship), Level 3 (Advanced Apprenticeship) or Level 4 (Higher Apprenticeship). You will also work towards key skills//functional skills qualifications and a technical certificate.

To find out more about how we can make this work for you, please call the Employer Responsiveness Unit on 01226 216 166, complete the enquiry form or email your details to: employer@barnsley.ac.uk.