Apprenticeship academy blazes trail to give pupils from 14 route to world of work

From this year further education colleges can 
take pupils from the age of 14 after they complete year nine in school and before they start their GCSEs.

Leeds City College is one of the first nationally to take up this opportunity and the first to create an academy focused on apprenticeships for young people. Its principal, Peter Roberts, said: “We work very closely with schools in the 
city and because of this together we have been able to identify those pupils who would benefit from an apprenticeship style education.

“The approach will mean we can give pupils the skills they need for a specific area but 
also give them employability skills needed for the world of work.”

The Leeds 14+ Apprenticeship Academy offers an alternative to the traditional years 10 and 11 at school, by combining the teaching of key GCSEs alongside vocational qualifications.

Pupils will still study a 
core programme of five GCSEs including English, maths, and science alongside a vocational qualification in subjects ranging from hospitality, sport and fitness to motor industry, retail, digital media and engineering.

Leeds City College’s head of 14-19 partnerships, Emma Sullivan, said: “The academy will deliver a pre-apprenticeship offer 
linked to real employment opportunities and provide 
high quality programmes for 
14- to 16-year-olds to 
prepare them for the world of work.”

The first cohort of 25 pupils will begin today along with their parents who have been invited to a morning session.

Mr Roberts said the academy could expand in future years. The academy will be based at the College’s Park Lane Campus in a dedicated area for 14- to 16-year-olds.