sharonash Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Morning all! We are considering offering apprenticeships in September , have some interviews for apprentices today! Does anyone have apprenticeship experience- who could guide me in the right direction, any suitable interview questions, paperwork I would need etc please? thanks have a good day x Quote
HappyMaz Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 I have no experience of apprenices, sharonsash - but I wish you well with this venture. Young people today get such a bad press, and it will be interesting to see what your batch are like. One question that strikes me is to ask why they want to work with children. This should be able to weed out those who think it is easy work, those who really want to play with dolls all day and those who really have an interest in how children learn and develop. Let us know how it goes! Maz Quote
Guest Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 ...................and don't be surprised if the answer is "because I babysit my cousins/nephew/nieces" etc seriously though, keep in mind that these young people will not have had much (if any) 'interview' experience so to get the best out of them would be to make the experience as informal as possible but with a clear focus on the importance of the role. Just thinking off the top of my head, in a way you will be 'selling' childcare as a career to these young people just as much as them showing that they have the motivation to 'give it a go'. They don't know if it's the career path they want to take until they've tried it. Have ready information about various training routes etc. The applicant will need to consider the 'day to day' role in your setting plus the longer term prospectives of this profession. Peggy Quote
sam2368 Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 I'll be watching this thread with interest. I'm very keen to introduce apprenticeships to our setting too. I'm going to be contacting connexions next week when I get back to work. Sam Quote
Inge Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 we had apprentices, three by the time i left, first was by sort of default, she asked to come and have a placement with us at college and fitted in so well it just seemed to follow through, she became a much valued member of staff, and still is 5 years later... later the college came in to the setting with the applicant for a chat with us all and we then had a shortened application form for her with references asked for and taken up , interview was more of a chat with a drink on a quiet corner about her experience, etc, and also about us and how we saw her role in the setting, meet the staff, had lunch with them, and was encouraged to play with the children for a while. As they were with us for a long time, we did begin to use them in ratios once they had enough experience if we felt them suitable, second one has just been employed by the setting as a full staff member now... we found the experience a good one for us and the setting, but we were lucky with the applicants fitting in well. Inge Quote
sharonash Posted May 28, 2009 Author Posted May 28, 2009 Ha ha ha Peggy! You were spot on I did 5 interviews today and at least 3 of them said about the babysitting! I had a secret smile when they said it, how funny! Very hard going interviewing, well didnt want them to feel too on the spot as they are sooooooooooooo young so just asked them simple questions, a couple werent bad though, oh well its an extra pair of hands! For those interested contact your local college as they are crying out (apparently!) for employers to house their apprenticeships! bye for now and thanks guys x Quote
Guest Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Hello, WOW!!!! I've just had a converstaion about apprenticeships with my committee chair. I would love extra help with minimal wage!!! lol the committee are unsure. Are apprenticeships goverment funded? and how do I go about finding an apprentice?? I would realy appreciate some help from you all.. Kat Quote
Guest Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Extra pair of hands, minimal wages doesnt sound good, dont forget they are there to learn not to be used, may sound harsh but my daughter was in an apprentiship and she was used for just cleaning and jobs other staff didnt want to do, so sorry if i dont agree with these statements dont forget it is their career, if they are not treated fairly they could or will be put off through this mistreatment, i know it was not within a nursery setting but these statements sound familar, plz bear that in mind Do not mean to offend but feel quite strong about this as I know how my daughter was treated. I must add to all that have had apprentices and they are now staff that it is excellent. Quote
HappyMaz Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 dont forget it is their career, Hear, hear, stimmo! I've never had apprentices in my setting but we have had students from the local college on long term placements and generally have been pleased with their work and their commitment to working in early years. With my staffing issues I have often been recommended to look into having an apprentice, but honestly I don't think I have the time or energy to support them effectively. Goodness knows I have three members of staff at various stages of completing their level 3 and I don't think I do a good enough job of supporting them as it is. So I'd definitely echo what you say about not viewing them as a spare pair of hands, but as a member of the staff team whose training and development needs care and attention. As has been said, this young person could be a valuable future member of staff and even if they don't end up working for you, when they go out into the wider world of work they'll be taking some of your ethos and practice with them. Sharonsash I'd be really interested to hear more about the process should you decide to offer any of these youngsters a place with you! Maz Quote
Inge Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 our apprentices were all on ema when they started and not on rota, so while we included them in everything, we did not actually have to pay anything until they were on staff.. although we did pay them a bonus at Christmas and end of each term when we could afford it. When they were taken on staff they got same wage as any unqualified staff.. which was well above minimum wage fro them, and I fully believe this made them more willing to become fully involved, offering out of our time free etc. They have turned out to be the most enthusiastic willing staff members and with boundless energy the children love it. we all did all jobs in my setting, so I was often seen making and washing up from snack, mopping floors, cleaning loos etc which I felt set an example for all to just get on and do something if they se it needed doing, which our apprentices all became very good at. If given the chance do try it out... I know some do not work out as they think it is the easy job/ anyone an do it option, only to find it is really hard work, but in our case it worked for us. It was the same as supporting our NVQ learners, and found that in our case all staff helped with the support required, but it was easier for us with all level 3 staff.. Inge Quote
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