Get in touch with our Apprenticeship Team to talk through the options and ensure that you and your staff are accessing great opportunities!
Email: apprenticeship@bridgend.ac.uk or Tel: 01656 763 233 / 763 238
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What type of apprenticeships are available?
Junior Apprenticeships
Foundation Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships
Higher Apprenticeships
Junior Apprenticeships
These are a unique new way to learn and start training for a future career for 14-16 year olds where young people come to college, instead of school, five days a week during term-time.
A Junior Apprenticeship will develop their knowledge and skills, enabling them to gain industry qualifications for their chosen future career. Alongside this, they will study English and Maths and continue to sit GCSE exams in these subjects which are important for any future career.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Foundation Apprentices study towards qualifications equivalent to 5 GCSEs or NVQ Level 2 and often go on to complete Apprenticeships and Higher Apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships
Apprentices gain valuable on the job skills, whilst studying towards a nationally recognised qualification equivalent to 5 GCSEs, 2 A-Levels or NVQ level 3.
Higher Apprenticeships
Higher Apprentices work towards a qualification equivalent to a HND / HNC, Foundation or Honours Degree. Higher Apprenticeships are available across a range of sectors from Aerospace to Accountancy, Construction to Creative Media.
The Welsh Government is dedicated to improving higher level skills in Wales through Higher Apprenticeships, focusing on increasing the number of technical and professional opportunities at level 4 and above. The number of people choosing Higher Apprenticeships is increasing and more businesses are realising the benefits of supporting higher level skills.
Who pays the college fees?
The College fees are covered through a combination of Government funding and the employer.
How many hours does an apprentice work each week?
30-40 hours a week, including one day a week training at Bridgend College.
What’s the difference between a Traineeship and an Apprenticeship?
A Traineeship (or Pre-Apprenticeship) is unpaid and does not involve a contract of employment. However, we do encourage employers to support trainees by covering their expenses, such as transport and meal costs. A traineeship lasts from 6 weeks to a maximum of 3 months. It can help a young person to gain the skills and experience they need to progress to a paid Apprenticeship or other employment.
Bridgend College has been shortlisted for TES FE Awards 2020 Apprenticeship Programme of the Year.
Our learners have won the NTfW Apprentice of the Year 2 years in a row.
Starting the apprentice programme with Bridgend College has been one of the best things I have done. I now can go on to study a HNC Civil Engineering course to help me in my job role in the strategic project department at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council.
Maria, 28, was an Engineering apprentice with us for over 2 years and had a deep curiosity about how engines were built, operated and controlled.
It’s this passion for learning that led her to become the first female adult apprentice taken on at Ford’s Bridgend plant. Maria is already an honours graduate in Forensic Chemistry, provided by Bridgend College, and has gone from strength to strength which is a great example of how apprenticeships programmes can help you succeed.
