On Site Bristol aims to attract applications from school leavers through direct contact at schools and at careers fairs, using this website as the primary source of information about our provision, and via intermediaries, such as Connexions.

We also make use of other marketing channels, such as Apprenticeships Serice, and receive referrals from employers who have been approached directly by young people.

As with all our activities, we prioritise residents of deprived areas in Bristol, and have established links with various agencies in those areas to act as intermediaries, promoting our provision and making referrals.

We take applications from the start of December onwards, for apprenticeships to start between the following July to September.

Each application is acknowledged, referred to the website pages for information on our selection process and then given a date for initial testing. The testing starts in February, followed by interviews starting in April. If you do not have employment, to have the best chance of being accepted it is advisabl to apply early.

Selection criteria vary between specific trades and are determined jointly with our partners in delivering the Apprenticeship programme.

• Bricklaying, Carpentry & Joinery Plastering and Painting & Decorating – all applicants need to pass the Construction Skills Learning Exercise (SLE). This is the industry standard test for new entrants and is required to ensure that an apprentice’s employer is able to access training grants from ConstructionSkills. Applicants with a marginal fail in this test may still be considered (especially those in our priority groups) and will be given a second chance to pass the test after a gap of three months.
  
  
• Plumbing – all applicants need to pass the Plumbing Entrance Test, or to have achieved GCSE (grade C or above) in English and Maths. Applicants who have already got their GCSE's will not have to take the Entrance Test.
• Electrical Installation – entry to an electrical apprenticeship requires GCSE passes (at grade C or above) in four subjects including English, Maths and a science.
  
  Applicants will be tested using aptitude tests in English, Science and Maths. These will be used, along with predicted GCSE grades, as initial screening prior to interview. Applicants who are successful in both testing and interview will be offered a conditional place, subject to achieving the required GCSE grades.

Applicants will be informed of their test results within ten working days and, if successful, will be given an interview date.

Interviews are conducted by two members of staff from On-Site Bristol, and comply with the guidelines of Bristol City Council’s Fair Recruitment & Selection Policy. Each interview will last for about 20 minutes.

Interviewees are informed of the outcome of their interview within ten working days. Those that have been successful will be asked to confirm that they wish to accept our offer (conditional in electrical on their GCSE grades) of a place, while all unsuccessful interviewees are offered feedback.

Once an offer of a place has been accepted, On Site Bristol will begin to match the young person with a suitable employer. We inform all young people that they should also make efforts to secure employment, and support them to do so, but it is also possible for learners to start their programme without employment.

Of the 86 new recruits in September 2008, twenty three were able to start without an employer. These young people started their programme on the further education route, attending college two days a week (classed as full-time), while On Site Bristol continues to work on matching them with an employer. They can become employed at any time during their twelve months further education, but will need to be employed before they can progress into their second year of learning.

The majority of apprentices are found employment by On Site Bristol, but a significant proportion finds their own employer. It is very rare for a young person not to be able to progress to their second year due to not having an employer. In such rare cases, young people will be offered the opportunity to continue in full-time further education, rather than completing an apprenticeship but with the opportunity to switch back if employment is secured.