If you’re an apprentice who has been made redundant or are at risk of redundancy, finding the right support is essential to getting back on track with your employment.
If you have been made redundant from your apprenticeship, it is essential to contact your training provider as soon as possible. The Education and Skills Funding Agency are working with training providers to help apprentices that have been made redundant find an alternative employer. This ensures all apprentices have the opportunity to continue with both their apprenticeship and end-point assessment, ensuring that they are able to get recognition for the academic part of the apprenticeship that they have completed to date.
Due to the challenges the coronavirus pandemic has placed on the economy, the rate of redundancy in the UK has increased. This may be because of a business closure or the necessary reduction of the workforce.
The Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices
The government runs a Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices to provide apprentices that have been made redundant with the advice, support and resources they need to get through this challenging time. This new service, launched in August 2020, has been developed to support apprentices that have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.
The priority of the Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices is to provide you with the help you need to get back on track to completing your apprenticeship and end-point assessment.
The aim is to find all apprentices alternative employment within 12 weeks of their redundancy.
Visit the government website to find out how to get in contact with their dedicated advisors and begin planning your next steps. It’s certainly an ambitious target to find apprentices alternative employment in just 12 weeks and we hope that the Government can meet it in most cases.
The Vacancy Sharing Service
The Vacancy Sharing Service helps employers connect with apprentices that have been made redundant but are keen to complete their apprenticeship. If you have been made redundant, you are encouraged to register with the Vacancy Sharing Service as a way of being notified when an employer has listed an opportunity in your local area.
Register to the Vacancy Sharing Service now to receive regular updates of employer availability.
Financial Support
Losing your source of income can be an extremely worrying and stressful experience. If you require financial assistance because of your redundancy, there are several government schemes to help you.
You will still be paid for 12 weeks if you are made redundant from your apprenticeship in order to help to tide you over while you find another apprenticeship provider or a job in the meantime. If you were halfway through an apprenticeship, you should still be able to get good references from the people that you have worked closely with at the company as they will have formed a good opinion of who you are by now and your strengths and weaknesses.
Depending on your personal situation, you may be eligible for Universal Credit. Universal Credit is a monthly payment that helps people cover their living costs. To find out if you’re eligible, and how to apply, visit the government website. Universal Credit feels like it was designed to be difficult to apply for, so don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend or relative when filling in the forms.
If you need assistance with managing your money or budgeting, contact Citizens Advice. One of the best things offered by Citizens Advice is a free benefits check. They feed in all of your details including whether you have dependents etc and then the computer program tells them which of the complicated UK benefits you should be eligible for.
If you are scared that you may lose your house, whether that is through not being able to pay either the rent or the mortgage, talk to Shelter, as they are the housing experts and should be able to advise you on the best courses of action, depending on your own individual circumstances.
Alternative Employment
Being made redundant can cause a major knock on your confidence. You may feel that your skills, abilities and qualities weren’t good enough. It is an understandable reaction to something that is a very hard knock but in reality, redundancies are a standard part of the working world, and you should not feel ashamed for facing redundancy from your apprenticeship.
It’s important to discuss your next steps with your training provider or a dedicated advisor from the Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices. If you have decided you are no longer happy with your apprenticeship and are keen to look for a different apprenticeship or alternative form of employment, then there are many options for you to consider.
If you have been made redundant and feel that you have reached the end of your tether, please hold on and contact the Samaritans for free on 116 123. They will talk to you about your problems and provide a listening ear.
There are so many different apprenticeship standards to choose from now that you are almost certain to find something that interests you.
To explore the opportunities available to you, visit our dedicated pages on types of apprenticeships, how to apply, and career paths.
