The 5 steps to becoming a brilliant apprentice
1st March 2017
When it comes to apprentices, the stats are pretty clear – they’re very good for business, and they’re very good for careers.
Take a look at what the Government’s research found:
- 92% of apprentices in work felt that their apprenticeship has had a positive impact on their career
- 89% of apprentices were satisfied with their apprenticeship, with 72% very satisfied
- 7 in 10 apprentices got a job with their employer after finishing.
At Opus Energy we have a thriving apprenticeship scheme in partnership with Northampton College. It kicked off back in 2012 and has been growing ever since.
Want to know more about what it’s like to be an apprentice, or know someone else who might? Walk through the steps of an apprenticeship by reading on below, and share using the social media buttons.
Look out for the quotes in italics – they’re from current Opus Energy apprentices who’ve been there.
Step 1 – you hear about Opus Energy
Maybe you’ve heard of us if we visited your school, maybe you know Northampton College who we work with, or maybe you attended a careers fair we were at. You know we have an apprenticeship scheme, but who are we?
A little bit about us: we’re a business energy supplier, providing electricity and gas to over 275,000 customer sites across the UK. We have offices in Northampton, Oxford and Cardiff, and we’ve been named in The Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For.
All our apprentices get an NVQ qualification, a full time salary, and full employee perks (read on for more about those).
Step 2 – you want to apply
“It was very easy to apply. I went on to the apprenticeship page on the website and applied through that. I received a reply within around a month, and applied for my level 3 whilst working for the business.” – Samantha, Customer Service Administrator
It really is as simple as that. We start recruiting for apprentices in March, but you can always take a look at our general vacancies over on our careers page.
Step 3 – you’ve made it to the next stage
“The whole application process seemed to move very quickly which is a good thing.” – Aiden, Renewables Administrator
“I was well informed throughout the recruitment process – I was given feedback pretty quickly and there was no delay.” – James, Customer Service Administrator
If we like your application, we’ll invite you to attend an assessment day. This is a more dynamic way of doing an interview, and gets candidates working on practical problems in groups to get an idea of everyone’s working styles.
Step 4 – you’ve been successful!
“The balance of work was good, I was always given enough time out of my day to make sure everything was completed.” – Adam, Renewables Administrator
When doing an apprenticeship, your time will be split between learning on the job and working towards an NVQ qualification.
Some of your time will be spent in the Opus Energy offices, where you will be given a ‘buddy’ who will be your go-to for any questions or help you may need.
Then you’ll spend time at the college, where you’ll have an assessor to help with your work there. It’s a busy but rewarding time – as you’ll find below…
Step 5 – you’re making moves in your career
“I like that you’re not treated differently because of the apprenticeship… Some people don’t even know you’re an apprentice!” – Adam, Renewables Administrator
We cover both NVQ level 2 and level 3 qualifications, and many of our apprentices go on to get accepted into a full time position at Opus Energy once they’ve completed their programme.
What’s more, every apprentice gets a full salary, with a raise after passing the six month probation period. They also qualify for every benefit that any other Opus Energy employee gets – including a performance bonus of up to 10% of your salary, a company-matched pension, free private healthcare, retail discounts, and many more.
Want to find out more about our apprenticeships? Head over to our website career page.