Hertfordshire Careers Hub and HFL Education have launched the The Twin-Track Apprenticeship Toolkit to enable teachers to better support students applying for apprenticeships post Year 13.
The online toolkit was produced as part of a research project funded by The Careers and Enterprise Company and led by HFL Education, which took place across two academic years and involved 15 secondary schools from within the county.
The resulting toolkit directly addresses the challenges raised by teachers in Hertfordshire Careers Hub’s 2023 apprenticeship survey, regarding their lack of confidence in giving advice on apprenticeships and other technical pathways compared to university.
The toolkit is now available for all schools to access via HOP (Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal), and offers a clear and simple routemap for teachers to follow to support their sixthform students.
Jane Witherall, Careers Leader at Rickmansworth School, said: “We were really pleased to be part of HFL’s research process and it was fascinating to hear how other schools have faced challenges supporting students to apply for apprenticeships too.
“This toolkit is a fabulous resource for us – specifically for our teachers who have direct conversations with students about how to seek, apply for and prepare for apprenticeship pathways. Most teachers are very confident when it comes to UCAS as they will all have been through the process themselves, but when it comes to apprenticeships they have less understanding of how to help.”
Caroline Cartwright, Head of Skills, Hertfordshire LEP, said: “We have never underestimated the role that influencers, like teachers, play in raising young people’s awareness and understanding of apprenticeships and the application process. A key part of our Apprenticeship Growth Strategy in Hertfordshire is to ensure that students can access reliable information about apprenticeships while at school, and this project and the resulting toolkit will go a long way towards achieving this goal.”
Suki Gill, 16-19 Curriculum and Funding Adviser, HFL Education, who led the development of the toolkit, said: “This project has provided a fantastic opportunity to liaise directly with schools to assess their existing provision and work collectively to identify best practices. As we discovered from speaking to students who were applying for apprenticeships, there is no formulaic system as with UCAS, and by comparison the application process can be something of a minefield for young people, parents and teachers.
“We’re delighted to have been able to create this toolkit which we hope will be a real gamechanger in demystifying the apprenticeship pathway moving forward."
A key part of our strategy in Hertfordshire is to ensure that students can access reliable information about apprenticeships while at school, and this project and the resulting toolkit will go a long way towards achieving this goal.
A key part of our strategy in Hertfordshire is to ensure that students can access reliable information about apprenticeships while at school, and this project and the resulting toolkit will go a long way towards achieving this goal.