Pre-apprenticeships: Supporting Employers and Young People

A Pre-apprenticeship (sometimes called an internship or work placement) is an unpaid work placement aimed at developing the skills and employability of a young person aged between 16 and 18. Pre-apprenticeships can last between 6 weeks and 1 year, although most last for less than 6 months, and include at least 70 hours of work experience.
They are a fantastic way for you to identify future talent and get know potential employees before committing to an Apprenticeship or job in your business.

Pre-apprenticeships are funded by the Government and flexible and you can change the programme as you go to make sure your business and the trainee get the most out of it.

• Leverage government funding that provides little to no cost to your business.
• Discover eager new talent and develop their skills to support your business. 
• Test out a new position in your business without committing to full time hires.
• Provide your current employees with experience in training and mentoring.  
• Help your local community and support youth employment. 

Our Locations

Bury | Doncaster | Ipswich | Leeds | Lincoln | Lowestoft | Manchester | Norwich | Salford | Scunthorpe

How a pre-apprenticeship programme works

• We will partner with you to assess the needs of the trainee and provide any pre-employment training before the work placement starts. 
• We will work with you to plan and agree the length of the pre-apprenticeship, the days the trainee works and how the programme will be delivered.
• The pre-apprenticeship is flexible and the programme can be adjusted to make sure that your business and the trainee get the most out of it.
• The pre-apprenticeship must include a minimum of 70 hours of safe, meaningful, high-quality work experience.

After the pre-apprenticeship has ended you should:

• offer the trainee an interview if a job or an apprenticeship is available in your business
• provide meaningful written feedback if no job or apprenticeship is available.

With over 40 years’ experience, Central YMCA is one of the UK’s leading national training providers. We know and understand what you need to improve the skills of your workforce and help you to thrive, now and in the future. 

As a leading education and wellbeing charity, Central YMCA has a strong track record of successfully training thousands of learners every year who go on to build rewarding and fulfilling careers. 

Let us help you design a Pre-apprenticeship that will meet your business needs.