Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a paid work opportunity that gives you ‘on-the-job’ experience alongside classroom-based learning (in person or remote) with a college, university, or training provider. It leads to a nationally recognised qualification and can be a great way to start your career or upskill in your current job.

If you are over the age of 16 and not in fulltime education, you can be an apprentice!

Apprenticeships are not only for school leavers; they can also be suitable if you are looking for a career change or want to upskill in your current job – perhaps to progress to the next level in your career.

An apprenticeship is a great way to combine paid employment with continued learning.

Benefits of doing an apprenticeship include:

• Obtaining a nationally recognised qualification, with no tuition fees
• Receiving a salary and benefits whilst gaining skills and experience
• Having exposure to industry professionals who will support you in your development
• Spending 20% of your contractual hours in ‘off-the-job’ learning with a college, university, or training provider.

An apprenticeship allows you to combine paid employment with continued learning.

80% of your work time is spent gaining ‘on-the-job’ experience and practicing your new skills, whilst the remaining 20% is spent in ‘off-the-job’ learning with a college, university, or training provider.

For the duration of your apprenticeship, you will have a mentor who will offer support and guidance and may work with you on a day-to-day basis to provide ‘on-the-job’ coaching and training.

You are paid for all your time, including the 20% spent in ‘off-the-job’ learning. At Raven, we pay the national minimum or living wage rate applicable to your age for the first year of your apprenticeship and then the Real Living Wage once you have successfully completed the first year.

At the end of your apprenticeship, you may be offered permanent employment with us. Often, our apprentices move into an ‘improver’ role for a year or so once they have finished their course, and then into a fully experienced position, with pay increases at each stage.

Entry requirements depend on the apprenticeship level and are stated on the advert for the specific vacancy, but most require a minimum of GCSE grade C or grade 4 in Maths and English.

All our apprenticeship vacancies are advertised on our Careers portal (see ‘Our current vacancies’ above), usually between April and August each year. If you can’t see a suitable vacancy, please complete the Register your interest form and we will be in touch when a relevant vacancy comes up.

To apply for an apprenticeship with us, we ask you to submit your CV and/or attend an apprenticeship open day with Raven. At apprenticeship open days, you will be offered an informal interview to talk about yourself, your interests, and what you feel you can bring to the role. We will reveiw your application and if you are successful at this stage, you will be invited to an interview with us.

We might ask you to do a short task or activity as part of the interview process but will always let you know before the day, so you have time to prepare if needed.

You are paid for all your time, including the 20% spent in ‘off-the-job’ learning. At Raven, we pay the national minimum or living wage rate applicable to your age for the first year of your apprenticeship and then the Real Living Wage once you have successfully completed the first year.

You are entitled to all of our usual contractual and non-contractual benefits, please see what we offer.

An apprenticeship allows you to combine paid employment with continued learning.

80% of your work time is spent gaining ‘on-the-job’ experience and practicing your new skills, whilst the remaining 20% is spent in ‘off-the-job’ learning with a college, university, or training provider.

You are paid for all your time, including the 20% spent in ‘off-the-job’ learning.

Once you have successfully completed your apprenticeship, you may be offered permanent employment with us. Often, our apprentices move into an ‘improver’ role for a year or so to embed their learning and are then promoted into a fully experienced position, with pay increases at each stage.

We have a comprehensive learning and development offering at Raven and you will have access to a variety of opportunities beyond your apprenticeship course, including opportunities to develop transferable skills and behaviours.