To work as an electrician, you will need to complete an Advanced Apprenticeship, taking you to NVQ Level 3. This will take up to four years of training – the first three years will include attendance at college, while the fourth year will be spent completing your NVQ and taking a set of skills tests.

On-Site Bristol’s Apprenticeships are a combination of off-the-job training at a college of further education or training centre and on-the-job training working for an employer. Apprentices will learn their skills through both forms of training.

At college or training centre, there is a greater emphasis on the underpinning theory and knowledge, although there will be some practical training as well. With an employer, Apprentices will get more of the practical side of training, putting their knowledge into practice and developing their skills under real working conditions.

Most Apprentices will start their programme with a year’s full-time further education at City of Bristol College. However, full-time means two days each week. This means that Apprentices can start their training without an employer, but will still be able to be placed with an employer during their first year (for three days a week), before starting their formal Apprenticeship at the start of their second year. From the start of the second year, Apprentices will attend college once a week.

Some Apprentices will be employed from the start of their programme, starting their formal Apprenticeship right from the start and attending college or training centre for just one day a week throughout their training.

On-Site Bristol will monitor and track each apprentice’s progress while they are in training. At the start of the formal Apprenticeship, an Individual Training Plan is agreed between On-Site Bristol, the Apprentices and their employer. This plan sets our the qualifications to be achieved and target dates for each qualification to be achieved.

At least every twelve weeks, there will be a formal review of each Apprentice’s progress towards their qualifications and target dates for achievement. The review will also cover the training, both at college and at work, and any other issues relevant to the apprenticeship programme. The review will look back at progress made over the last three months and agree a set of actions for the next three months.

Schedule of Training

On-the-job training will start as soon as you have an employer, which can be soon after you leave school, at the same time as your off-the-job training starts or at a later time in your first year.

Off-the job training starts each year in August, with a two-day induction at On-Site Bristol. This will give your further details of your training, and allow us to complete much of the paperwork needed at the start of your training.

In early-September, the off-the-job training at college will start, for either one or two days a week. You will continue to attend college over 35 weeks, ending in June.

Years two and three of your off-the-job training will start again in early-September, with a return to college for one day each week. Again, this will last for around 35 weeks, ending in June. The fourth year of training is entirely work based, on-the-job training with your employer. You will complete your NVQ 3, with assessments at you workplace, and take a set of practical skills tests.

Apprenticeship starting with a year’s further education			Direct entry onto an Apprenticeship with an employer
Year One			Year One
August	On-Site Bristol induction		July - Sept.	On-the job training starts
September	College starts 2 days a week		August	On-Site Bristol induction
Sept-June	On-the job training starts with employer		September	College starts 1 day a week
June	College ends		June	College ends

Year Two
September	College re-starts 1 day a week
June	College ends

Year Three
September	College re-starts 1 day a week
June	College ends

Year Four
September	On-the-job training and assessment
May	Skills Test
June	Advanced Apprenticeship Framework complete