Our Blog

Employers
23 July 2020

Brief employer guide to costs, funding and incentives for Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships have been in the news recently following the Chancellors announcement of incentives to encourage employers to take on new apprentices. But as an employer do you really ...

Employers
16 July 2020

Incentive payments and using apprenticeships for existing staff

How to use apprenticeships whether you are recruiting new staff or not.

Apprentices
9 July 2020

My Apprenticeship Journey - Jack Forrest - Apprentice Engineer

We catch up with Jack Forrest, apprentice engineer at Chiltern Railways, as he nears the end of his apprenticeship, we thought it a good idea to find out ...

Apprentices
30 June 2020

My Apprenticeship Journey - Michael Everest - Systems Engineer

We asked Michael Everest one of our 4th year apprentice working as a Systems Engineer for Ultra Electronics to tell us about his route into an apprenticeship and ...

Apprentices
22 June 2020

Women in Engineering - Dr Kathryn Richards

We’re inspiring future engineers around the world through International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June.
We speak to Dr Kathryn Richards
Wind Tunnel Test Technician
Mercedes-AMG Petronas ...

Apprentices
22 June 2020

Women in Engineering - Jessica Monk

We’re proud to be taking part in and celebrating ‘International Women in Engineering Day’ on 23 June.
We speak to Jessica Monk
Manual machinist and RPS ...

Employers
17 June 2020

Using apprenticeships as CPD for your existing staff

How can apprenticeships be used for those businesses who are not in a position to take on additional staff?

Apprentices
11 June 2020

If you were an Engineer, what would you do?

We are very pleased to be a Regional Partner for the ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ competition, known as the 'Leaders Award', an annual ...

Apprentices
8 June 2020

Your Apprenticeship Application Form

Your application form is incredibly important, as the content of the apprenticeship application form will usually be used towards assessing whether you have the right grades, skills and ...

Apprentices
1 June 2020

Why should you choose an engineering apprenticeship?

A very common question asked by young people is ‘why should I choose an engineering apprenticeship?’ When searching online you will find plenty of articles and blogs comparing ...

Employers
21 May 2020

Q&A with Sarah Jaycock of High Spec. Composites

For this week’s blog I sat down (virtually) with Sarah Jaycock, Executive Director at High Spec Composites to find out a little more about her business, the apprentices ...

Employers
14 May 2020

Stepping up our virtual learning capabilities

The Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way in which we interact with our learners. With the current climate looking set to be with us for a ...

Apprentices
1 May 2020

Upgrading Lesley

Lesley is the diesel locomotive shunter based at the Chiltern Railways depot in Aylesbury. It was the thorn in the side of a busy maintenance department until Jack, ...

Apprentices
30 April 2020

Remote working during COVID 19 Lockdown

Remember the days when you were in work or driving around thinking ‘oh I wish I could work from home’. Well now, for the majority of people it ...

Employers
21 April 2020

Finding the right training provider

What to look for when finding a training provider. You might be looking to start an apprenticeship scheme, returning to one or reviewing your current arrangements. If so, ...

Employers
16 April 2020

Apprentice recruitment during Covid-19 and 3 online platforms that can help

The impact of coronavirus on businesses has been significant and there are several reasons why the subject of taking on apprentices isn’t exactly top of the agenda at ...

Apprentices
14 April 2020

Crush your next remote interview

We have been using telephone interviews to shortlist candidates for apprentice vacancies for many years and have heard candidates across the spectrum from brilliant to bad.

Employers
6 April 2020

Our move to a remote way of learning and assessment

There isn’t a business or organisation in this land (or the world) not affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. For some it will mean the end of the road, ...

Apprentices
6 April 2020

Top tips for engineering apprentices continuing their learning from home

These are challenging times for apprentices. Lets be honest, you probably didn’t think a month ago that you would be sat at home away from the work place… ...

Employers
2 April 2020

Mentoring an Apprentice – What is involved?

A key element to any apprenticeship is the company mentor. The guru, the talisman that will lead their Padawan (for all the Star Wars fans out there) through ...

Employers
2 April 2020

All you need to know about the Apprenticeship Levy

In 2017 the government introduced the apprenticeship levy, a compulsory tax on employers to help fund the development and delivery of apprenticeships, with the aim of improving the ...

Employers
2 April 2020

Taking on an Apprentice - Top 10 questions and answers for employers

For many years, apprenticeships have been the lifeblood of the Engineering and Manufacturing sector. They are a vital part in ensuring businesses have the skilled workforce required to ...

Apprentices
2 April 2020

My Apprenticeship Journey - Philip - Tooling & Design Engineer

We sat down with Philip, one of our 4th year apprentices who is about to complete his programme to find out about his journey into and through an ...

Employers
30 March 2020

The benefits of taking on an apprentice

With the introduction of the Apprenticeship levy in 2017, more and more businesses across Oxfordshire and across the country are looking to apprenticeships as a way of bringing ...