Traineeships

Traineeships are a national programme for people between 16 – 24, and 25 year olds with an education, health and care (EHC) plan to prepare them for an apprenticeship or a job by providing a skills development programme that includes a high quality, relevant work placement. They allow young people to continue in learning with a work-based programme of training

In the government’s review of traineeships in 2018 they found that Traineeships offer a successful pre-work programme  - 75% of trainees started in an apprenticeship, employment, or further learning within 12 months of starting the traineeship and 33% of trainees started an apprenticeship within 12 months of starting a traineeship, compared with 7% of the matched comparison group.

Growth Works with Skills are working with employers and providers in the Cambridge and Peterborough area to increase the number of high quality work placements available, and with young people to increase the level of takeup of Traineeships.

Facts and Figures

• Traineeships are sector-specific training programmes delivered by approved providers. They offer individual trainees the opportunity to acquire core skills and knowledge and practice these during work placement and with the support of their training provider and placement employer, prepare for their next step into further learning or into work in their chosen sector.
• A traineeship is a training programme and not a job, but for the employer and trainee, the traineeship follows the full lifecycle of work experience. Employers commit to offer constructive feedback and advice to the trainee during the programme and offer an interview for an apprenticeship or job in their business at the end of the traineeship if one is available, or an exit interview at the end of the traineeship with meaningful written feedback.
• Most placements are typically under 6 months but they can last from 6 weeks up to 1 year. The placement includes a minimum of 70 hours of work experience (but no more than 240 hours for benefit claimants)- over the duration of the maximum one-year traineeship.
• Placements are agreed with the traineeship provider, who works with each trainee to assess their needs, and supports each trainee, for example, if they need pre-employment training before starting work experience. this might include CV writing or English and Maths.
• Employers and providers agree on how the placement element will work and which days the trainee works. The programme can be adjusted at any point to support trainee and employer to get the most benefit from the programme
• Employers are not required to pay trainees for their time in the work placement and if eligible trainees can maintain their entitlement to benefits whilst on a traineeship Employers who make new work placement opportunities available may also receive an incentive payment of £1000 per learner, for up to 10 learners.