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Flooring Apprenticeships

The Facts!

  1. NO FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED TO BECOME A FLOORLAYING APPRENTICE
  2. EMPLOYED FROM DAY ONE - EARN WHILE YOU LEARN
  3. OPEN TO ANYONE - OF ANY AGE
  4. LEARN ON SITE AND IN TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS
  5. UP TO 100% FUNDING AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMME
  6. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND GRANTS ALSO MAY BE AVAILABLE
Apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a formal system of training people in a set profession with a mixture of 'on' and 'off' the job training and often accompanying study, it is a real job where the apprentice can learn, gain experience and get paid. Any apprentice must be an employee with a contract of employment and holiday leave.

Apprentices are developed to help plug the skills gaps in the sector and offer an education route that is vocational. An apprenticeship combines hands-on work with the opportunity to train and obtain qualifications, it is a paid position with at least 20% of the apprentice's time set aside for learning, usually at a college or with a training provider.

The rest of the apprentice's time is spent applying knowledge, skills, and behaviours in the workplace. At the end of it, the apprentice will gain official certification, which will be equivalent to or include traditional qualifications such as NVQs. Apprenticeships are supported by work on English and Maths related subjects called Functional Skills in England, Core Skills in Scotland, and Essential Skills in Wales and Northern Ireland.

It can take between two and four years to complete a floorlaying apprenticeship depending on where in the UK the apprentice is based, what level the apprenticeship is and any previous experience the apprentice has. Apprenticeships are funded from contributions made by both the Government and an employer.

There are three essential parts to any apprenticeship.

  1. College/Training Provider training - A college/training provider tutor will deliver ‘off the job’ training to the apprentice away from the pressures and time constraints of day-to-day work. This training is delivered in controlled environments where an apprentice can develop their skills, knowledge and behaviours that can then be reinforced through opportunities to use what is learnt in real world situations.
  2. Work based evidence to support apprenticeship achievement – The apprentice will gather and record a wide range of work experience involving collection methods such as photos, videos, diaries, and witness statements. This will be validated once competency has been proven by the apprentice and assessment by the relevant assessment organisation or awarding body.
  3. Assessment and verification – All apprenticeships require assessment and verification before an apprentice can be classed as competent. Some apprenticeships award a training diploma by verifying and assessing the training achievements throughout the training programme. In Scotland passing an additional Skills Test is required and in England, passing an End-Point Assessment by an End Point Assessment Organisation determines if an apprentice has passed and to what grade.
Is there funding available for employing an apprentice?

YES - This is a really important question as there are different levels of funding depending on an employer's location, staff numbers and the apprentice's age. Apprenticeship funding is available to all employers regardless of their relationship with the CITB and this has caused confusion for many years.

Apprenticeships are available in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in different formats. The best place to read about apprenticeship opportunities is in the Contract Flooring Industry Training Guide, available for download here. The CFA Training arm FITA (Flooring Industry Training Association) delivers the Floorlayer apprenticeship from its dedicated training centre in Loughborough, England. For more information email info@cfa.org.uk or for CFA members, head to the members area for further details.