Throughout the first year of the training programme you will spend around six months of your time at one or more of our Training Centres either Eakring, in Nottingham, Hollinwood in Manchester, or in Hitchin. The Eakring training centre, where the induction programme takes place, has its own complimentary accommodation – the lodge, with 60 bedrooms, which has pool tables, darts and a bar, this is where the apprentices and other trainees spend spare time whilst at Eakring, here you’ll find great camaraderie! Eakring also has its own restaurant where you‘ll get all your meals provided by the on-site chef and his team. To have a look where Eakring is check out the map.
Modules in the training programme start at 09:00 (11:00 on Mondays), so you’ll need to be up bright and early and ready to learn. The training is delivered in workshops and training rooms, so it’s just like a small college. The trainers are experts in their field and teach in a way that gets the subjects across to you in a practical engaging manner – they’ll support you for the duration of your apprenticeship. During the training you make notes on the theory behind the equipment you will be using in the workshop and on site.
A key part of the apprenticeship is studying for and achieving a national technical certificate qualification e.g. City & Guilds, relevant to your apprenticeship which is required to enable you to progress on the scheme. The technical certificate is delivered by a college whose Lecturers come to the training centre. On some programmes will be need to go to the college for two 16 week or 32 week blocks and stay in a local hotel. You In addition you will also complete training modules in safety and hand skills, some of the modules may involve trips to other facilities or companies, last year for example the apprentices on one programme went to a manufacturing plant to help you understand how pieces of equipment operate. A major part of the programme is the completion of an NVQ level 3 relevant to your job destination role at the end of the apprenticeship.
The training centres are not just about training rooms - you’ll also have practical sessions on pieces of equipment so you can put into practice what you have learnt.
You’ll generally finish off job training at 16:30 (12:00 on Fridays).However, occasionally some personal evening study is expected and then the time is yours. If you’ll at Eakring you will have your own furnished bedroom (with TV, bathroom) in the lodge and some apprentices bring there own game consoles and stereos to make them as homely as possible. At other training centres you will stay in quality hotels with similar facilities.
When Friday arrives the site closes so all the apprentices head home over the weekend but you will need to return by 11:00 on Monday (alternatively, you can return on Sunday evenings (after 14:00) if you have a long way to travel.