Pre-employment Training & Traineeships

Employers need people with the right skills, and employees need to develop their skills to make a good start in their chosen career. That is why training and skills development is so important for both young people looking to start their career and adult learners looking to return to work or get a new job. As well as apprenticeships, there are other types of training available for young people and adults in England to help them get the work they want.

Pre-employment training is designed to help people move towards work. It includes one or two-year-long study programmes – such as BTECs or other vocational qualifications that provide industry-specific vocational skills – and shorter programmes to help people prepare for work.

Pre-employment training programmes may be work-based or in the classroom, or both. They are offered by private training companies, colleges or welfare-to-work programmes and often include work experience, introductory occupational skills, help with English and maths, and writing a CV and interviewing skills.

Pre-employment programmes can lead directly to work, or on to traineeships, apprenticeships and degree-level education.

Traineeships are government-funded work experience programmes designed to help people who are nearly ready for an apprenticeship or work, but who need a little support to get there. Traineeships include work experience, work-readiness training and help with English and maths if needed. Traineeships are designed to lead on to an apprenticeship or other paid work.

Further information on pre-employment training

For employers:

  • Apprenticeships in Sussex
    Includes a ‘training search’ facility to find local training organisations  that can help you to recruit and train the people that you are looking for.
  • Traineeships for Employers 
    Information from the government’s national website on the benefits to offering traineeships and the support available.

For learners: