Modern Apprenticeships: Young people factsheet

Eligibility

To be able to become a Modern Apprentice you need to be:

• Aged between 16 and 21 years old when you start your Modern Apprenticeship. (Provision may be made for older people seeking a change in career.)
• Able to meet any entry requirements of the industry or business you’re interested in.
• Ready to start working towards a National Certificate at levels 3 and 4.

If you are not employed but are interested in Modern Apprenticeships, visit KiwiCareers and talk to your careers advisor to learn about the career and industry you are interested in.

Modern Apprenticeships are available in a wide range of industries. However, the programme does not cover all industries.

Take a look at the Modern Apprenticeships programme page for information on the industries Modern Apprenticeships is working in. If the industry or job you are interested in is not listed you will not be able to become a Modern Apprentice however you can still get involved in industry training.

Obligations

The great thing about Modern Apprenticeships is that most of the training and assessment takes place on the job which means you continue to earn while you learn.

You may also need to attend some short courses run by a polytechnic or other education provider.

There are some costs associated with Modern Apprenticeships—these include fees for NZQA registration, training materials and courses.

However, the costs are subsidised by the Government, which means that training costs are kept down for you.

It can take two to four years for you to become qualified, depending on the industry or business you chose and the requirements of the relevant qualification. But the training will set you up for the years ahead.

Your Modern Apprenticeships co-ordinator will help you get the most out of your apprenticeship and, of course, help you to succeed.

Process overview

1. Apply to become a Modern Apprentice through the Modern Apprenticeships website, or phone 0800 4 apprentice (0800 4 27773), or talk to your school careers counselor
2. A local Modern Apprenticeships co-ordinator will get in touch with you to find out more about who you are and what you want to do. They will probably make a time to see you in person to talk things through.
3. Go for a job interview with a potential employer. The Modern Apprenticeships co-ordinator can set this up by identifying employers and talking to them about you.
4. Once you get the okay to take part, you will sit down with your new employer and the co-ordinator to develop your industry training agreement. This agreement forms part of your employment agreement. You will also develop an industry training or ‘study’ plan.
5. You start work. You learn and get assessed against unit standards on the job. This means you continuously make progress toward your qualification.
6. Once you start work the co-ordinator will visit you regularly to check how you are doing with your individual training plan and to map out further on and off-the-job training.
7. The co-ordinator is there to support and mentor you, and to troubleshoot if you need it

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