Recruitment process - How to find an employer
There will be a lot of competition to secure a suitable Electrical Contracting Employer and it can often be a lengthy process. We recommend you start to think about this as early as possible. Where possible, ETT will provide assistance to help you find an employer, but, essentially, it's down to you.
Remember, you cannot start your apprenticeship unless you have secured a suitable full-time Employer.
It may be useful for you to think about working with a suitable Employer over the summer months to gain a better feel for the Industry in which you are considering a career. This can be extremely useful as it will give you an opportunity to experience the conditions and environment of the construction workplace.
If you are considering summer work, you must ensure that that you are adequately covered by the Employers Insurance, and that you have also received suitable Health & Safety training. These are important areas that you should discuss with the adults who are responsible for you.
It's a good idea to show some initiative, by getting in touch yourself with as many local companies as you can. It may also be worthwhile looking beyond your immediate locality.
- Industry Trade bodies can be a good starting point for finding local company details. Why not try the following websites
- Use local directories such as the Yellow Pages and the BT Phonebook and don't forget local newspapers.
- Make use of the local Careers Service, School Careers Tutors and the vacancies section of this website. You can also use the local library service as a source for identifying employers in your area.
Points to consider when selecting a suitable Employer:
- Will the employer be able to provide you with safe conditions of employment?
- Will the employer pay you in accordance with Industry determined pay rate? (www.jib.org.uk)
- Are you likely to gain the breadth of experience necessary to support the NVQ requirements? (www.qca.org.uk)
- Has the Employer got a good reputation for training apprentices?
- Will you be supported in attending College by this Employer?
- It might be worth looking at more than one or two options when it comes to prospective Employers.
- Transport to the workplace sometimes presents difficulties, discuss this with prospective Employers before you start.
- Ensure that your National Record of Achievement is up to date and take this to any interviews
- Take time to prepare a good CV - something distinctive and informative may lead to an interview. (http://www.youthactionnet.org/docUploads/cv.pdf).
- You must only consider employers who are registered in Northern Ireland.