Apprenticeship – the basics
The Falkland Islands Apprenticeship Scheme is a government sponsored which allows people to develop skills in trades, whilst in a place of work and earnng a salary. By taking an apprenticeship, you will earn a wage as you work and gain qualifications along the way through City & Guilds. As you train you will be gaining valuable experience, as well as being able to access a wide range of courses to help you develop and enhance your skills.
Some apprenticeships are completed here in the Falkland Islands, while others will be a mixture of here in the Falkland Islands or based for between 1 to 3 years at one of our partner colleges outside of the Islands.
An apprenticeship requires a commitment of between 3 to 5 years. We aim for every apprentice to leave their apprenticeship with a level 3 qualification in their chosen field. Some apprentices may be given the opportunity to study a level 4 or 5 qualification, which is the equivalent of a foundation degree.
An apprenticeship can be taken in a wide range of subject, from Hair Dressing to Accountancy, from Business Management to Plumbing. The apprenticeship will allow you to gain experience while you work towards qualifications that are the same as A'Levels. The skills you develop as an apprentice are key in helping our Islands economy grow.
Apprenticeship FAQ
Who can do an Apprenticeship?
If you are between 16 and 25 years old and you have full FI status, you can start an Apprenticeship on the Falkland Islands Government Apprenticeship Scheme. An Apprenticeship will often suit young people who do not want to go into full-time further or higher education, but still want to gain extra qualifications that are the same level as the ones their peers gain when going to college.
What type of Apprenticeship can I take?
There are more than 190 different occupations in which you can train through an Apprenticeship, from animal care to building trades, from administration to catering, from engineering to beauty therapy. Examples of apprenticeships undertaken bay Falkland Islanders are:
Supporting Teaching and Learning
Child Care and Early Years Development
Site Carpentry
Plumbing
Electrician
Aircraft Engineer
Business Administration
Heavy Plant Mechanics
Light Plant Mechanics
Hospitality & Catering
What sort of qualifications will I gain, are they recognised outside of the Falkland Islands?
Our Apprentices work towards qualifications called NVQs, or National Vocational Qualifcation. These are regulated in the Falkland Islands by City & Guilds and our qualifcations meet the same standards as those taken by apprentices in the United Kingdom. These qualifcations are recognised globally.
What other training will be offered?
On becoming an apprentice, we will offer you a training package. All apprentices will gain Highfield First Aid at Work certifcates, as well as CITB Health & Safety. We encourage all our apprentices to leave the scheme with GCSE grade C in English and Maths. If access to your course requires GCSE qualifcations you do not hold, we will work with you to gain these qualifcations. At every opportunity where we believe you would benefit from training to help you in your job, we will enrol you on the course, either her in the Islands or Overseas while at college.
Are there different levels of Apprenticeships?
There are three levels of Apprenticeship (typically):
•Intermediate (Entry Level),
•Advanced (Supervisor Level) and
•Higher (Manager Level).
However on the Falkland Islands Government Apprenticeship Scheme, our apprentices usually do levels 1 – 3 which finishes at the Advanced level. However funding is available through the Community Development Scheme so the apprentice can continue their development through to degree (level 5) if required.
Will I have to go to College
There are some apprenticeships that can be completed in the Falklands but not many. Most apprenticeships require people to go to College in the UK.
Which college will I go to and how long for?
The college will depend on what apprenticeship you have chosen, most apprenticeships are covered by Chichester College or Cardiff and Vale College, however we do work with other colleges when required and would look at courses outside of the UK if we felt those would be better suited for you.
The Training Centre works with the employer to create a suitable scheme to train and educate students to fit well in their work enviroment. FIG support this by providing funding and certified training requiresd to provide an all round employee.