5 tips for traineeship triumphs

18 Jun 2021

A traineeship’s power is its simple, sharp focus on employability and employment. Where other education and training programmes might build the technical skills, knowledge and behaviours a learner needs for a sustained career in a given sector, traineeships – done well – help young people smash through the more immediate barrier of finding, getting and keeping a job. When followed by an apprenticeship or similar work-based training, they help disengaged, disenfranchised young people to jumpstart their careers and make rapid progress.

Take a look at our five top tips for traineeship triumphs!

1. Proactive, systematic student outreach

The target student audience for traineeships is, by definition, difficult to engage. Working with job centres, community groups and other referral partners is crucial.  

2. Exceptional initial assessment and measurement of results  

Open, honest and granular initial assessment conversations with prospective students are essential to make sure that a traineeship is the right thing, at the right time, for them. In many cases, prospective trainees will need other support before or alongside their traineeship to ensure they secure maximum value. It’s also important to be able to use that initial assessment as a starting point for measuring how far students go on their programme, how much they progress with the right support, and what tangible impact their traineeship has had. 

3. Hyper-focused employability training

The real power of traineeships rests in their ability to help students power through whatever barriers have been holding them back. That means delivering training that addresses maths, English, IT and substantive employability skill needs - and whatever practical barriers each student faces, however small and specific they may be. The very best traineeships will also focus on the needs of particular industry sectors – creating clear, direct, progression pathways. 

4. Proactive, realistic employer engagement

A traineeship without a supportive, serious work placement at the end of it doesn’t fulfil the needs of your students. They need to experience the skills and knowledge that employers are looking for in potential new employees. Engaging with employers willing to offer that opportunity – and who understand what it means to offer opportunities to previously disengaged young people – is essential. That means having candid conversations with employers to manage expectations up front. 

5. Regular, practical, follow-up support

However great the programme, not all trainees will secure a job with their work placement host employer. Continuing, one-to-one, practical support will help students to sustain momentum from their traineeship and quickly find work elsewhere.  

There’s no doubt that delivering an outstanding transformative traineeship programme is very hard. We’d argue strongly though, that the results are worth it for learners, employers and the economy. We hope you can embrace this injection of additional funding for traineeships to the transformative effect we believe is possible.

Need more advice on setting up your traineeship? Talk to us.