Apprenticeships
We have been asked time & time again to recruit Apprentices by a variety of clients from a range of different sectors, and the answer has always been no. Why? Because setting out the career path for a young learner carries huge responsibility, and one that we take very seriously here at BlackCat.
Through our extensive research in to what makes a great Apprenticeship opportunity, we now feel that we’re in a position to support young learners at the very beginning of their career journey.
This is how we do it:
Recruitment
Finding great young learners who are looking to start their careers with an employer that deserves them, is a critical part of this process.
Not only do we need to find the right young person for the company in question, we also need to ensure that the opportunity the employer is presenting is suitable for an Apprentice, that the right support network is in place & that there is a reasonable chance that the Apprenticeship will secure a long term path for progression for the young person.
We screen & vet the opportunities on offer, just as thoroughly as we do the young learner looking for their first Apprenticeship opportunity in the world of work.
Pastoral Support
Moving from full-time education to the work-place can be incredibly daunting.
Can you remember walking into your first job? Some young people will have no qualms in doing this, whilst others will find it incredibly difficult.
Some employers we have spoken to have also noted that negative attitudes and behaviours of some young apprentices have not been welcomed in the work place. Again, preparing a young learner for how to manage their emotions, body language, attitudes & behaviour doesn’t happen overnight. We believe a strong emotional support network is critical to the success of an Apprenticeship.
The team at BlackCat Futures will work with our young people to ensure that they have the emotional support, training & guidance they need to make their apprenticeship a success. Through a 6 week employability skills training workshop, our young learners will come away from their day-to-day role and study to discuss a variety of topics, e.g. Communication, Motivation, Mindset, goal setting etc, to assist them in their transition to their new career.
Training Providers
Our aim is to ensure that a wide range of Apprenticeships & Qualifications are made available to our young learners, to well match their place of work and their future aspirations.
As well as the support that our young people will have received throughout the recruitment process and via our emotional well-being support network, we will work closely with our chosen training providers to ensure that the quality of the teaching support and guidance that they receive is second to none.
As well as all of the above support being made available to the young learner, a training session will be offered to all of the employers engaging with our programme to ensure that they are well-equipped physically & emotionally, to successful support a young learner in the work-place.
‘According to recent research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies,4 the lockdown will have hit youngest people hardest, with employees under the age of 25 around two and a half times more likely to work in sectors that were shut down compared with other employees’.