Pictured above: Sarah Hill

One of the UK's leading and Top 10 Government-accredited companies specialising in finding apprenticeship opportunities for school leavers says there's an unprecedented number of vacancies for ambitious school leavers across each of the government's nine skills' regions of the country.

According to Positive Outcomes, which has its head office in Derbyshire, it has an average of fifty apprenticeship vacancies with a number of the UK's national blue-chip companies, for roles including customer services and administration within a range of market sectors such as the legal, estate agency and recruitment industries. 

However, according to the company's Sarah Hill, Apprenticeship Manager and head of its dedicated eight-strong Apprenticeship team, many school leavers are still unsure of which path to take, which is resulting in the majority of the posts being left vacant.

"Finding apprenticeship candidates with the right level of skills and ambition is proving to be a real challenge, despite the widespread action and publicity by the Government around the opportunities available through the National Apprenticeship Scheme," Sarah says.

"Many school leavers, whether aged 16, 17 or 18, are simply unsure of what to do next," she says. "It seems that many school careers advisers are themselves less comfortable discussing the great opportunities available to school leavers from Apprenticeships, when compared to the more recently traditional routes for those leaving school for college, sixth form and other further education opportunities."

Apprentices are guaranteed a minimum wage of £95 per week, which is exempt from tax and National Insurance, combined with a real opportunity to learn 'on the job' and carve a career for themselves in what is increasingly a competitive jobs market. 

"Employers are looking to new starters to have experience rather than qualifications," says Sarah, "and the Apprenticeship scheme is designed to give school leavers an edge, a job opportunity, and above all, career progression. Historically, employees that have joined a business as an Apprentice remain incredibly loyal to the company, working hard to add value, expand their work-based learning, experience and skills."

Earlier this year, Demi Williams joined Nottingham estate agency Location Mansfield on an Apprenticeship scheme developed by the company with Positive Outcomes. She has quickly realised the benefits of taking this career and training route, as she explains:

"Positive Outcomes helped me to achieve my Apprenticeship - I went for an interview at Location Estate Agents and got the position. The Positive Outcomes' team were great and really helped me to prepare for the interview and my training advisor who is with me throughout my Apprenticeship here, is brilliant!

"I love working at Location and I am really pleased that I am on the way to achieving an Apprenticeship Qualification, whilst working with some really great people."

Positive Outcomes is a national training, apprenticeships and recruitment company. It specialises in the delivery of Government-funded NVQ work-based training to employees aged 16 and upwards and is one of only a few training providers approved to deliver NVQ Levels 4 and 5 Management training that is the equivalent of a Foundation Degree, and corporate business training, incorporating workshops in IT and management. It has a team dedicated to finding candidate apprentices for employers and delivering relevant on-the-job training. 

The Positive Outcomes group of companies recently moved to its head office just off J28 of the M1.