Gain skills and QUALIFICATIONS in a working environment 

An Apprenticeship is a job with a structured training element funded by the government, where you are employed by a business to work as part of their team, whilst completing a nationally recognised qualification alongside your job role.

Training for the apprenticeship qualification takes up 20% of your working hours – usually this means you’ll be doing course work for one day per working week. This can happen in the workplace, online or in one of our four training centres, depending on which qualification you’re working towards.

Apprentices can be new recruits or existing staff upskilling into a new role, and there is no upper age limit for most Apprenticeship qualifications.

Apprenticeships typically last between 12 and 48 months, depending on the standard and level. From finding you the right Apprenticeship placement, all the way through to completing your final assessments, our team at Focus Training works closely with you to ensure you’re fully supported all the way.

Apprenticeships are government funded, and sometimes the business employing you might need to make a contribution, but they are completely free to you as the student.

All Apprenticeships require that you either have, or are working towards a Level 2 Functional Skills or GCSE English and maths qualification.

If you don’t already hold this qualification, Focus Training will support you to achieve this alongside your programme of study.

Some higher level Apprenticeship standards may require a higher level qualification as an entry requirement, so please speak to our team to find out the details about the standard you’d like to enrol on.

Another requirement to qualify for an Apprenticeship is that you have lived in the UK as a resident for 3 or more years. However, if you don’t meet the 3 year residency rule, it may be possible for your employer to privately fund your apprenticeship, which means paying for the training without using any goverment funding.

Signing up for an Apprenticeship is different to signing up for a course, as you will need to have an employer to work with, as well as a college or training provider to teach you.

There are several ways to find an Apprenticeship:

1. Speak to a Focus Training recruitment advisor who will be able to assess your suitability, and then add you to our talent pool and support you with putting forward your CV to employers
2. Approach employers who you would like to work for and ask them if they’d like to take you on as an Apprentice
3. Look on the Government website to find vacancies in your area
4. Look on recruitment sites like Indeed to find suitable vacancies privately

Focus Training works with hundreds of the South West’s top employers, so registering with us is the best way to ensure that you can secure an excellent placement, along with industry-leading training to support your learning.

If a college or training provider offers you an Apprenticeship but you haven’t had an interview with an employer and been offered a placement with them as well, you don’t actually have an Apprenticeship yet. 

We offer 25+ Apprenticeship standards in the following industries:

• Business & Professional
• Electrical
• Gas Engineering
• Plumbing
• Fire & Security
• Early Years & Education
• Health & Social Care

Many of our Apprentices progress from one level to the next, and keep coming back year after year to add to their skills with our wide range of short courses.

Click here to view all of the Apprenticeships that we offer.

Employers and Apprentices all tell us the same thing: Focus Training makes me feel like I matter.

From friendly Centre Coordinators who make an effort to greet you by name when you walk in the door, to industry expert teaching staff who are absolutely dedicated to developing highly skilled professionals, we’re proud to be so much more than just a training provider.

One comment we hear a lot from our younger apprentices is that it’s really nice not to be treated like a child anymore, while our more mature Apprentices always praise a level of responsiveness and support from tutors who go above and beyond to make your experience exceptional.

It’s this commitment to both the quality of our teaching and of our strong employer relationships that’s seen us maintain one of the South West’s highest Apprenticeship achievement rates over the last few years – a fantastic 77% overall – and we have every intention of continuing to improve that score.

To experience the Focus Training difference for yourself, make an appointment to come and see one of our four specialist training facilities in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth or Redruth.

Click here to go to our contact page.

While we are specialists in Apprenticeships, hundreds of businesses also trust us to deliver high quality, industry-relevant short courses to support their compliance and upskilling needs, such as:

• Electrical qualifications and compliance
• Gas qualifications and compliance
• Health & Safety
• First Aid
• Entry level construction skills

Click here to view our full range of courses and book online.