We have a ring-fenced apprenticeship program, which gives you the opportunity to earn whilst you learn. Ring-fenced means the apprenticeships are for care experienced young people only; it is part of our commitment to you.

You may not have the qualifications needed to pursue an apprenticeship elsewhere but if you are happy to continue to learn and improve your English & maths then this may be the way forward for you.

Apprenticeships are usually 37-40 hours a week but can be less if necessary, and take about 18 to 24 months to complete.

You would be employed by Wakefield Council or one of their partners. This means that you will need to follow Wakefield Council’s employer guidelines. You would be supported by the apprenticeship team and attend an induction to find out more about the council, so you know what to expect. Wakefield Council pays above the minimum apprenticeship wage and the pay depends on your age.

Typical Apprenticeships offered at Wakefield Council are:

• Business Administration (this can be varied dependent on the department you work in)
• Youth Work
• Teaching Assistant
• Horticulturist (gardener)

If you are interested in an apprenticeship, please speak to your social worker or personal advisor about completing an ‘Expression of Interest’ form.

Once you have completed this, you can arrange to meet with the Specialist Leaving Care Worker (SLCW), and then attend a meeting at Wakefield One with the SLCW and a member of the apprenticeship team. We will discuss your area of interest and ask you to complete a CV, (you can receive support to complete this).

We will look at the best option for you, this may be some taster days (work experience) or a traineeship before agreeing to move onto an apprenticeship. This will be dependent on your previous experience. 

Wakefield Council provide traineeships through Adult education and they are working on working in partnership to provide these for 16-19 year olds. Watch this space!

There’s a range of opportunities throughout the Council with services including sport, environment, young people, adults and learning including:

• Volunteering in Wakefield's green spaces
• Volunteering at Pontefract Castle
• School Governors
• One-off local litter picks
• Youth work
• Library volunteers
• Stewarding at Council galas and events’ Wakefield Council website

If you are interested in doing some casual work for Wakefield Council you can set up an alert on their jobs page, alternatively, you could contact the SLCW about opportunities. 

If you would like more information on any of the above, please speak to your Social Worker or PA, or contact the SLCW on EET@wakefield.gov.uk

The length of the work experience within the council would depend on your needs and your next career step. If you are new to the world of work then the duration may be anything up to 4 weeks, longer if you think you need it.

If you have some experiences already then you may only require one or two weeks. You might be undecided about what you want to do, so a few work experience taster days in different departments might support you in deciding what you want to do.

http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/jobs-and-learning/jobs-and-careers/apprenticeships-at-wakefield-council
http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/jobs-and-learning/jobs-and-careers/volunteering