Browse Our Digital Apprenticeship Courses

The key to career progress has not changed. You must excel first in your job role so that you can move onto adding even more value in your organisation. The apprenticeship format ensures all your achievements and wins are celebrated and recognised, but it is up to you to make them happen. You should always actively seek out what results are expected from you at work and deliver them. You can read more in our guide on how to build a strong work ethic.

As an apprentice, you receive an increased amount of support with your career aims from Commun-IT, the training provider. You can speak to us about your goals, you can raise concerns, you can ask for assistance and guidance and most importantly, you can learn how to overcome any obstacle in the workplace or in your personal life. A job with no setbacks is a great place to be.

Apprenticeship Standards have been designed collaboratively by training providers and employers. They are focused on a set of job roles, all of which require the knowledge, skills and behaviours that the apprenticeship training delivers or prepares you for.

If you answer yes to the below two questions for any particular apprenticeship standard, then you should consider it:

• Do I want to do this job and progress in this line of work?
• Do I want to learn these knowledge, skills and behaviours?

This is set out in an agreement with your employer. Training can be weekly, monthly, block release or a mixture. You must spend 20% of your time on training activities, some of which is direct contact with your trainer and attendance is required.

You can read about time management for apprentices here.

The gov.uk website displays the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices as £4.30 per hour as of April 2021, for the first year of employment.

The apprentice wage makes it possible for employers to still give paid job opportunities to unqualified staff. The employer does however, undertake a commitment to spend their own time and resource (both do cost the employer money) to help you get qualified and pass your course.

In your own career development, it is important to gain an understanding of your value as an employee. You must learn to record your results (deliverables) and achievements both quantitatively and qualitatively, as they serve a basis for negotiating your pay and the opportunities made available to you.

If you really are motivated to reach your peak performance, read our article on “Intrapreneurship”.

For your off-the-job training with your training provider, you will be assigned to a trainer for your course. They will sometimes train you in a group class and sometimes directly. They can also observe you at work and attend meetings with your employer. They will also receive support from other staff at Commun-IT to help you. Specialist modules in your training might be delivered by a different trainer too.

For your on-the-job training, you can ask your workplace to provide a mentor for you. This does not have to be your manager. A mentor can support and guide you. However, your manager may also perform this duty. Your employer may make other training arrangements for you that are necessary for your role such as First Aid.

Your training is part of your work and is underpinned by your job contract. Therefore, your employer still handles things such as holiday under normal employment law.

Before committing to an apprenticeship, you must make yourself aware of any specific requirements that cannot be adapted for you e.g. compulsory training sessions that cannot be scheduled again.

If you have started training, you should inform your trainer as early as possible that you will be away and they can instruct you as to how to make up for lost time.

Apprenticeships are vocational training therefore any job can continue during an apprenticeship – the key is to put all preparations in place so that scheduling and delivery formats are discussed and agreed up front.