Top tips from Warrington and Vale Royal College for people seeking an apprenticeship

Warrington and Vale Royal College is one establishment offering a programme of apprenticeships - including construction trades such as bricklaying and electrical installation, as well as office-based roles like business administration and human resources.

Here are some top tips from the college for those who are looking for an apprenticeship:

• Make sure your CV is regularly updated and in chronological order - starting with your most recent experience.
• If you are selected for an interview, read through the job description before you attend, and try to come up with some situations where you have completed those tasks before.
• Prepare your route to interview the day before and make sure that you arrive 10 minutes early.
• Try to self-source your own employer - this cuts out any interview competition and lets the employer know how proactive and keen to work you are.
• Employers like to see passion from a potential apprentice for their chosen industry and the company they are applying to work for, so show this in your interview.

In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, Warrington and Vale Royal College – which has sites in Winsford and Warrington – has also been sharing some of its candidate's successes.

Level three brickwork student Shaun Tyrer was selected to work for Vinci Construction - the company responsible for building the Time Square development.

Shaun has since secured a full time job with Loftus Construction.

Top tips for apprenticeship applicants

Meanwhile, business administration apprentice Nia Millington completed her level two course with Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, and is now employed as a full time ward accreditation administrator.

Adult apprentice Phill Darwin is currently completing his level two plumbing apprenticeship with Warrington-based company, Northwest Heating Services Ltd.

The college has also been working with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service for the last three years.

Apprenticeship coordinator at Cheshire Fire and Rescue, Linsey Daniels, explained: "The results have been excellent, and our apprentices have received some fantastic grades, which has been very well deserved by the individuals involved.

Top tips for apprenticeship applicants

"The apprenticeships have been completed to timescale and provided our staff with a level three qualification in their professional occupation of operational firefighter.

"This has allowed us as an employer to have a more skilled and qualified workforce fit for a modern Fire and Rescue Service."

Having worked with the college to recruit and train apprentices previously, Steve Caddick from Falcon Panel Products Ltd recently returned after making those positions permanent, to seek a new apprentice employee for the business.

Of the college’s apprenticeship matching service, Steve said: "The team work very efficiently in locating candidates and the process of the additional qualifications as part of the apprenticeship programme has also proved attractive to the candidates."