Study Programme

Helping you gain valuable skills to prepare for the workplace

What is the Study Programme?

The Study Programme Team deliver two exciting pre-apprenticeship programmes; Employability Skills and In-centre Traineeships from our state of the art Vocational Centre of Excellence in Accrington, our Oldham centre and new Bury Centre.

Both programmes are tailored to the needs of students aged 16-18 who are not ready, or able, to directly enter an Apprenticeship, employment or other post 16 alternative.

The Study Programme offers everyone an innovative curriculum and high quality work experience opportunity, providing you with the best possible support in order to assist you in laying the foundations for the rest of your life.

What routes are available and what do they involve?

On the Study Programme there are 2 routes, Employability Skills and Traineeships both available at our centres in Accrington, Oldham or Bury. Both routes include maths and English qualifications (if you don’t already have GCSE grades 4 – 9) and are full-time programmes which means parents/guardians will be entitled to child benefits. After an initial induction and assessment period, you can decide the best route for you.

The Employability Skills route

  • • Supports you to get ready for the workplace, further learning, or an Apprenticeship by developing your employment skills along with maths and English.
  • • It is a 34 week programme with work experience from week 13 to develop your vocational skills.
  • • You will work towards achieving a City & Guilds qualification in Employability Skills.

The Traineeship route

  • • Supports you to develop the skills for an Apprenticeship through work placements and support provided at one of our 3 centres.
  • • It is a 24 week programme with work experience from week 3 to develop your vocational skills.
  • • You will receive a reference from your work experience employer which you can add to your CV.

Will I get paid?

Yes. On the Employability Skills route you will receive up to £45 per week bursary and on the Traineeship route you will receive a £45 allowance every week if you are in work experience. Both of these payments are dependent upon 100% attendance. Click here to view our Bursary and Free Meals policy or to download an Bursary and Free Meals Application Form.

How long does it last and what days will I be involved?

The employability route lasts for 34 weeks however this could be longer or shorter depending on your progress. You would need to be in centre for a minimum of 12hrs per week but this could be more depending on your timetable. Traineeships last for a maximum of 24 weeks with the first 2-3 weeks being in centre and the rest out on work placement. You need to be engaged for a minimum of 12hrs per week but this could be more depending on the placement.

What type of placements are there?

Work experience placements are available in a range of vocational areas. We have opportunities in retail, administration, warehousing, Child Care, IT and many more. We always try and provide an opportunity in the vocational areas you choose.

Are there any enrichment sessions involved?

Yes, enrichment is available for both routes and can involve football, gym, cooking, snooker and more. One of our enrichment sessions involves refurbishing landfill bikes for the community. For more information click here.

What happens after I have finished?

After you have finished, hopefully you will progress into some form of further education like an Apprenticeship or a full time college course because you will have developed the skills needed to succeed in these areas.

What is the 16 to 19 tuition fund?

The 16 to 19 tuition fund is one-off funding provided by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). It is specifically targeted to address the potential attainment gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in maths, English or other courses where learning has been disrupted due to COVID-19.

How we will use the 16 to 19 tuition funds

This funding will be used to provide personalised support to students on our Study Programmes through small group tuition for specific cohorts of 16 to 19 students in English, maths, and other courses where learning has been disrupted by the lockdown.   In some cases, it will provide additional Progress tutorial sessions to further enhance personal development and progression opportunities for identified students. Additional pastoral support will be delivered to ensure the wellbeing of learners and allowing them to fully engage with the available academic support.

Eligible students will be those identified by the Government as disadvantaged, meaning those who had not achieved grade 4 or above in at least one of English and/or maths at this level by age 16 and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 19 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. The subjects covered in the tuition will not be limited to English and maths but will be identified according to need and existing programme.

Support will be provided to these students in the forms of additional one to ones and small group sessions of no more than 5 students delivered by maths and English specialists and study programme tutors. The students requiring support will be identified through our initial assessment processes and progress monitoring throughout their duration on programme.

What advice and guidance is available?

NLTG provides Matrix* accredited information, advice and guidance to support you throughout your learning journey.  From choosing the right programme to continuing professional development and career progression, we can help you plan and implement practical steps towards your career goals.

*Matrix is the international quality standard for organisations that deliver information, advice and/or guidance (IAG).  NLTG have held Matrix accreditation since 2006.  To find out more about the Matrix standard please click here.

Case Study – Katie Oldham

“I’m really happy to be offered an Apprenticeship here, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity without work experience, it really built my confidence. I was eased into my new role and was given time to make sure the job was right for me.”

Read full case study Read all case studies

What our courses lead to…

Apprenticeship | Employment | Post 16 alternative

How to join…

There are many ways you can join our exciting programmes here at NLTG.

Your local Young People’s Service/Connexions will give you further information on the programmes and what is involved. You will then complete a referral form and be invited to visit North Lancs Training Group for an informal interview and a look around the local centre.

You may have heard about North Lancs Training Group and the Study Programme from friends or relatives and wish to visit us yourself. This is known as a self referral. You can drop in to one of our centres in either Accrington or Oldham where one of our Tutors will be more than pleased to show you around and give you advice.

Contact your local Study Programme Centre now to find out more:

Contact Us

Speak to an advisor today

for help and guidance about what options are available to you

Call us today

01254 395355

or enquire online

send us a message