apprenticeship & financial help?

Beki88

Hi hoping I have posted in the right bit.

Basically my partner is 21 and currently working as a customer service advisor, but he really wants to get into IT.
He studied it at college for a year but had to get a job to support us.
He has applied for a few jobs but most want experience in that field or a higher qualification than what he has. We looked into doing a course but we can't afford the amount.

An opportunity has come up at a local college for an IT modern apprenticeship, with a pay or £96.20 a week.

I have searched online but no real useful info for our situation.
Trying to find out what financial help we would be entitled to? As it stands my partner is 21, I am 23, I have a 7 year old who receives DLA I get carers allowance for him, we also have an almost 2 year old.
We rent from the local council.
He currently works full time earning around £1000 a month so a huge drop.

Does anyone have any advice as to what help we could get if he did apply for it & get it?

Thanks

anniecave

What did he study at college? What level was it at?

Does he have an idea of what sort of level he wants to work at, and in what area of IT?

What sort of courses did he look at? Has he looked at open university courses? Or self-study in an area that he's interested in (just via buying books).

What would the IT modern apprenticeship lead to / give him?

Beki88

anniecave wrote: »

What did he study at college? What level was it at?

Does he have an idea of what sort of level he wants to work at, and in what area of IT?

What sort of courses did he look at? Has he looked at open university courses? Or self-study in an area that he's interested in (just via buying books).

What would the IT modern apprenticeship lead to / give him?

Sorry only just seen your reply, thank you.
Will try to answer all of the questions.

He did IT systems support, at level 2 I think it was.

He says any for the level and area, just any in IT as once he has experience it opens up doors.

We looked at local colleges cant remember what courses were, I think something to do with networking as a lot of jobs required that and its one thing he doesn't have as part of his qualification from college. If I remember that was the expensive one, the rest were below the level he already has.
We looked at OU but were baffled by the amount they had and a lot had already started.
He does try to keep up with technology, he spends a lot of time fixing computers and bringing them up to date for friends and family. Though he hasn't started to learn anything in a specific area just like I say generally trying to keep up to date.

This is the advert and description:
http://www.rotherham.ac.uk/WorkForUs/Documents/Vacancies/ITModernApprentice/ITModernApprenticeAdvert.pdf
http://www.rotherham.ac.uk/WorkForUs/Documents/Vacancies/ITModernApprentice/ITModernapprenticeJobDesc.pdf

We only saw it Friday evening so haven't been able to ring up to get more info yet as I said to him no point leaving a stable job for something that won't get you anywhere, but he said he would be willing to look at an apprenticeship (either this or another one) if we could manage it financially if it was something that got him where he needs to be.

Hope I have made sense.
Thanks

vax2002

Jumping from the pan to the fire.
He has a paid job now, the apprenticeship is a gimmick YTS re-badged and he will leave along with thousands of others with all the same qualifications.
Sit him down with the Jobs section of a local paper and look for how many IT expert jobs they are for beginners...

Beki88

vax2002 wrote: »

Jumping from the pan to the fire.
He has a paid job now, the apprenticeship is a gimmick YTS re-badged and he will leave along with thousands of others with all the same qualifications.
Sit him down with the Jobs section of a local paper and look for how many IT expert jobs they are for beginners...

To be honest neither of us have any experience with apprenticeships, they do make it look like a good option though!
The downside is there isn't an awful lot of info available. Looks like he will be sticking with his job and hope something comes up. Thanks

Oldernotwiser

Has he looked at what evening courses are available at your local college? At his age, he wouldn't have to pay fees for a level 3 course if he didn't have a qualification at that level already.

This is only available up to the age of 25 so it's an option he should look at closely.

scheming_gypsy

Sod the college. First line support contracts! They pay between £8 and £15 an hour and you don't need a lot of experience as it's just basic support; password resets, creating accounts and logging calls. It gets the experience on his CV and builds up his skill set.

daggy

There's nothing in the literature that suggests he'll get any in depth networking training whatsoever...

What he needs is CISCO certification..

The apprenticeship sounds like a mix of a 1st line support job and a receptionist; he'd be better off getting an actual support job and earning more money. He could then pay for a CISCO course.

scheming_gypsy

daggy wrote: »

There's nothing in the literature that suggests he'll get any in depth networking training whatsoever...

What he needs is CISCO certification..

The apprenticeship sounds like a mix of a 1st line support job and a receptionist; he'd be better off getting an actual support job and earning more money. He could then pay for a CISCO course.

that's if he wants to go down the networking and security route. Although just to generalise a bit on what you said regarding CISCO certification; what he needs to do is forget university / college certification and look at getting proper IT certification. When employers want IT certification, they want industry certification and not an A level or a degree in not having any experience.

saintjammyswine

I think you are asking what help, benefits are available to you while he is on an apprenticeship?

If you speak to the Student Services (may be called something else) team who will be able to advise or may refer to Next Step who most colleges use for career & training advice. With regards to the apprenticeship, is the employment with the college or another employer? If it is the college then it is likely they will take him on full time after his apprenticeship. We have had several people come through apprenticeships who are now employed full time.

Beki88

Thanks for all the replies again, tried to multi quoye but has only done two so I am not ignoring other posters.

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Has he looked at what evening courses are available at your local college? At his age, he wouldn't have to pay fees for a level 3 course if he didn't have a qualification at that level already.

This is only available up to the age of 25 so it's an option he should look at closely.

The evening courses are bad, as in learn to use a pc and something to do with typing, nothing of real use which was dissapointing
Sadly he has just gained a level 3 in customer service via work, I told him not to do it as he wouldn't be able to get another one for free, unless I am wrong?

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

Sod the college. First line support contracts! They pay between £8 and £15 an hour and you don't need a lot of experience as it's just basic support; password resets, creating accounts and logging calls. It gets the experience on his CV and builds up his skill set.

How does one get into that kind of thing?
To be honest it sounds a little like what he does now, he works in a call centre outsourced by/for a rather large phone network, which involves customer accounts, technical help and also broadband support not to mention sales when they can so it would be easy enough for him.

The CISCO thing that was mentioned I do believe that was the one that most jobs he applied for were wanting. The course he did back in college touched on it but so briefly.

I believe it is directly with the college. When I saw it I did think it looked like an advert for a poorly paid lacky but like I say we don't have much experience but it was the hope that something might come out of it.

Sorry if I haven't made much sense again.