Apprenticeships at Futures

Apprentices at Futures get the best possible start to their careers thanks to our wide range of roles, our commitment to developing our own talent and our own further education provider - Access Training. From customer service and accounting to plumbing, IT and communications, we've got a fantastic track record in helping people to reach their potential. 

What we offer

We offer our apprentices:

• competitive starting wages
• 25 days paid holiday a year, plus Bank Holidays
• paid time to attend college if needed
• online and high street discounts
• comprehensive coaching and mentoring
• membership of our apprentice forum
• support to find your next job when you're ready for the next steps in your career.

Coaching and mentoring

We have trained coaches and mentors throughout the business. They can meet you regularly if you want to discuss your own personal and professional development. Your coach or mentor may have taken a similar career path to you, or may be able to bring an entirely fresh perspective. During your confidential catch-ups you might ask for help with building confidence, time management or organisational skills, or you may want support with climbing onto the next rung of the career ladder.

Our apprentice forum

Getting together with others at work to share experiences, learn what others are up to, build your network and have fun is an important part of work and that includes our apprentices. Apprentice forums might include personal and group development activities, guest speakers and training, or more practical activities (such as the time our apprentices built a fantastic new garden area for a nursery school!).

Support for your next steps

Once you've finished your apprenticeship you may decide it's time for new adventures or challenges. While we're sure we'll be sad to see you go, our People team can support you with job applications, including help with CVs and preparing for interviews.

Information for parents and teachers

• An apprenticeship is a real job combined with training. It allows the apprentice to get the skills they need to start their career. Most learning is on-the-job, with some apprenticeships requiring a day a week at one of our training providers. There are many different apprenticeships covering areas as diverse as customer services, electrical work, arboriculture and business administration. Whether someone has a clear vision of where they want to be in five years, or wants to learn more about the world of work through practical experience, there’s an apprenticeship out there for them.
• Futures pays for apprentices to achieve their qualification. We also offer an apprenticeship wage which is above the statutory minimum and days off-site at the training provider are also paid as a standard working day.
• Different apprenticeships take different lengths of time to complete. Typically the minimum length is 12-15 months, with some frameworks taking around three years.
• Some apprenticeships, such as electrical or plumbing apprenticeships, will have their own mandatory qualifications to achieve. Degree apprenticeships, as the name suggests, offer degree qualifications awarded by a university. Other apprenticeships will have the standard End Point Assessment (EPA) to assess competence, and formal qualifications aren’t mandatory, but may be included dependent on the type of role.
• Apprenticeships provide more than just academic theory: apprentices get to build their skills and practical knowledge in a real job, with guidance and support from experienced team members, meaning their CV is full of achievements ready to start a fantastic career. Given that the average debt of a university graduate is around £44,000, it’s also easy to see why being paid to complete an apprenticeship can be more attractive than a degree.

But what's it actually like?

Scroll down to see two short videos from some of our apprentices, past and present, to get a flavour of how it feels and the benefits of being a Futures apprentice.