Guidance on submitting a vacancy through Apprenticeship vacancies (Av) April 2015

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1 Guidance on submitting a vacancy through Apprenticeship vacancies (Av) April 2015 This document has been designed to assist Providers in putting together quality adverts which will be attractive to candidates who are searching for an Apprenticeship opportunity and also meet the quality and content requirements of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS). Providers need to work closely with their employers in order to obtain all the information that will be required to put the vacancies together. Once written it is very good practice to check the details of the completed vacancy with the employer prior to submitting it through Av for approval. Where possible the Av Support Team will aim to approve or refer back vacancies within 24 hours of them being submitted. When entering a vacancy on to Av not ALL sections are shown as mandatory. However, we would strongly recommend that ALL sections are completed to give applicants as much information as possible and to help employers attract the most suitable and relevant apprentice. The following guidance works through each of the sections that require completion when uploading an advert. You will also find some Annexes which give additional information and these should be read in conjunction with the guidance. Traineeships Please note that Traineeship Opportunities can be advertised on Apprenticeship vacancies. Guidance on eligibility and how to construct a traineeship opportunity can be found below:- Step 1 of 4 Vacancy Details Vacancy Title All apprenticeship vacancy titles must include the word Apprentice or Apprenticeship. This is to give consistency in the naming of apprenticeship vacancies. Ensure that the vacancy title appropriately describes the role being advertised. Note: A number of individuals and organisations use RSS Feeds to display lists of Live vacancies. These display the Vacancy Title so it is important for them to be meaningful and descriptive of the role to encourage further interest. Note: If you are an Apprenticeship Training Agency then please precede all Vacancy Titles with ATA for monitoring purposes. Vacancy Reference Number Automatically generated by the system Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 1 of 23

2 Employer Name The employer s full registered name is automatically generated by the system. If the employer has requested that their name is not published on the vacancy, the system does have a facility for the name to be set to anonymous. However, any requests for anonymity must be approved in advance by the NAS Av Manger and would only be agreed in exceptional circumstances. If approval is given then a name must be used that still reflects the nature of the employer s key activity. E.g. a large manufacturing company based on the outskirts of Coventry. Vacancy Short Description There is a 256 text limit in this section so ample opportunity to supply a comprehensive description. This is a very important part of the vacancy as this description is what appears in the initial results when candidates search for Apprenticeships on the website and it is also shown in RSS feeds. It gives the employer the opportunity to really sell the role. An interesting description will entice candidates to view the full vacancy description. The vacancy short description should give a clear, concise summary of the nature of the role and the work that it will involve. It should include key words regarding the role to ensure that it is picked up when candidates are searching for vacancies. Remember, this short vacancy description can be pulled from the system via web services by partners for wider promotion via their websites see the Apprenticeship web site for further details. Vacancy Full Description (4000 text limit) The vacancy full description should be representative of what the role will involve and cover as many aspects of it as possible. It differs from the Short Description in that it can be much longer and as a minimum should clearly identify: The key responsibilities of the role. The day to day tasks and duties of the role It should be sufficiently detailed to make it very clear to potential applicants exactly what will be expected of them if successful. A good description will help in attracting good candidates who feel they can meet all requirements. Poor descriptions may result in a lot of applications from people less able to undertake the full range of duties. Weekly Wage The more attractive the wage and/or prospects the more candidates will be encouraged to view and apply for the vacancy. Please encourage employers to pay the rate for the job rather than paying the absolute minimum possible. If the minimum wage is offered then it is good practice to include details in the Other Important Information section of how and when pay reviews will be applied. For ALL vacancies that are paying below the NMW the following paragraph should be included in the Important Other Information section:- The National Minimum Wage (NMW) for Apprentices is 2.73 per hour. From October 1 st 2015 it increases to 3.30 per hour. This applies to year old apprentices and those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship. For all other apprentices the National Minimum wage Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 2 of 23

3 appropriate to their age applies. The Wage for apprentices applies to both time spent on the job plus time spent training. Please ensure that the wage being offered complies with the apprenticeship minimum wage as a minimum taking into account the hours shown in the Working Week section. The wage displays as a weekly wage in Av and this makes it easy for candidates to compare rates of pay across different vacancies. If you are working with a large employer who wants to display salary levels more flexibly, please contact your Av Support Team. Working Week This must clearly set out: Working days Total paid hours per week Times (to detail any shift work etc) Space in this field is limited so use the Other Important Information section to expand if required. (For further information See Annex 2) Future Prospects (4000 text limit) Although this is an `optional` box, it is recommended that it is completed so that candidates can see what prospects there are for progression therefore do not leave it blank. Future prospects should be specific and directly related to the job role. Good future prospects can make the vacancy more attractive to candidates. This is particularly important for Apprenticeships with durations of only 12 months. AVOID using phrases that mention the promise of a job search at the end of the Apprenticeship. These suggest inappropriate employment as an apprentice is employed from day one. The contract of employment should be linked to the job role not time limited around the training. Contact Name (For Support Use) IMPORTANT: This section is for internal use only so that the Apprenticeship vacancies team know who to contact about the vacancy if there are any queries. This information does not appear on the `live` vacancy. Please include the name and telephone number of the person who has written and submitted the vacancy. Wage Incentive This tick box should be selected where the employer is eligible for the AGE grant incentive. This is for monitoring purposes only and does not constitute a claim. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 3 of 23

4 Step 2 of 4 Employer and Learning Provider Details Employer Name Employer Description (4000 text limit) Automatically generated by the Av system. (For further information See Annex 3) This section should clearly describe who the employer is and what they do. The description should be written in a way that `sells` the employer. It should be made as interesting as possible and reflect the size, location and working environment where possible. For subsequent vacancies posted for the same employer the original description automatically pulls through. There should always be a real employer for each vacancy. If the Provider is an ATA it should be clearly stated who the host employer will be within the body of the vacancy. Employer Website Location Type The employers web site address should be shown here if applicable. One of the following should be selected: Specific location Multiple locations Nationwide The system defaults to Specific location which for the majority of vacancies is correct i.e. one or more jobs in a specific location. Multiple locations should be selected when there are a number of the same vacancies which are based in different Towns or Cities across England. This facility allows for just one advert to be written but the system will create individual adverts automatically once approved. Note: Do not use Multiple locations when there is only one vacancy. Nationwide should ONLY be used when there are large numbers of vacancies and they are literally available Nationwide. Used predominantly by very large employers for national recruitment campaigns. This option is only available if NAS have given access. Address Number of Vacancies Learning Provider Automatically generated by the Av system. Note: Only English postcodes will be accepted by the system. Enter the number of actual positions available. This information is automatically generated from the system. The Learning Provider description appears on the `live` vacancy and is pulled through from the Provider Profile. It is therefore very important that you keep your Profile on Av accurate, informative and up to date. As Providers can now give their subcontractor s access to post vacancies it is important that for each vacancy the following information is selected from drop down boxes. Learning Provider This is the provider who is delivering the training. If a subcontractor is delivering their name will be here. Contracted Provider This is the lead contractor. If there is no subcontractor Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 4 of 23

5 the lead contractors name will appear in all three boxes. Learning Delivery Site Where a provider only has one site set up in Av, this will always show the Learning Provider s name. Where they have multiple sites, they will select the relevant one for this vacancy. Occupation Type (Sector) Job Role (Framework) This relates to the sector subject area the job will sit within. The Framework should always be directly relevant to the Vacancy Role Description and where possible the Role Title. Ensure that the framework is actually available for the level offered (see next section) Many vacancies are submitted where the Framework being offered is not the most appropriate for the role and has to be queried by the Av team. It is important that the employer is made fully aware of the frameworks available and that they agree the one being advertised is the most suitable. It is not acceptable to include a non-relevant framework because the correct one is not delivered by yourselves. In this case you should consider sub-contracting the delivery or referring the employer to a different Provider. The Customer Service Apprenticeship framework has been recently reissued and providers have been asked to review their use of this framework to ensure it reflects the focus on specific Customer Service jobs. Where the framework selected in a vacancy does not seem to be appropriate for the job role, including the Customer Service framework, the Av Co-ordinators will query this.` Vacancy Type Select the correct type of Apprenticeship as follows: Intermediate Level Apprenticeship Advanced Level Apprenticeship Higher Apprenticeship Ensure the level indicated has a SASE framework available to be delivered (see section re Job Role) Training to be Provided There is a 4000 text limit in this section so please include a comprehensive description and give the candidate a clear idea of what they will be doing. In this section you should clearly describe the training that the successful candidate will undertake including both on and off the job training. Will they be expected to attend college or Learning Provider premises on a day/block release basis? How will assessments be carried out? What qualifications will they work towards (e.g. Competency based qualifications - NVQ/Diploma, Technical Certificates etc)? Since October 2012 it has been mandatory that Functional Skills are delivered for all Apprenticeships rather than Key Skills. Training should be part of the contracted hours agreed that makes up the working week. Additional Units Micro Businesses (companies with up to 9 staff) can add up to two additional funded units to their Apprenticeships. Details of these can be included here. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 5 of 23

6 Expected Duration The duration of the Apprenticeship could vary by candidate so wording such as: `Approximately..` and `Up to.` is acceptable. Remember the duration should be commensurate to the SASE framework being delivered. (For further information See Annex 2) Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 6 of 23

7 Step 3 of 4 Candidate Details Skills required (4000 Text Limit) Personal Qualities This is an important part of the vacancy. Although it is an `optional` box, it is advisable that providers complete this section as it will help them or the employer sift the applications. They should list the key skills (technical and `soft` skills) that the employer would like a candidate to have. They should be specific and appropriate to the level of the role. This should identify the key personal qualities required for the role. These must be relevant to the level of the role and be appropriate to comply with anti-discrimination law. Do not use phrases such as: `Must be one of the lads` `Should be young, energetic..` (For further information See Annex 2) Qualifications Required (4000 Text Limit) Here you should list the key qualifications required for the role. These need to be as specific as possible and include a grade. The qualifications requested should be reasonable and not too restrictive. Avoid requesting 5 GCSE s on every vacancy as a matter of course if they are not realistically required. You must always add `or equivalent` when stating qualifications to cover alternative qualifications of the same level/standard. Without this, the vacancy could be discriminating against some people for example, older people who left school before GCSEs were introduced, or candidates who have obtained different qualifications at the same educational level. Reality Check (4000 Text Limit) This should be completed when it is important for the applicant to be aware of anything peculiar about the vacancy. For example, if the vacancy will involve working outdoors or will involve long periods of working on a computer. Again, the provider should be mindful of anti-discrimination law when completing this section. Important Other Information (4000 Text Limit) This section gives providers the opportunity to expand on things shown elsewhere on the advert e.g. working hours/patterns. Also include additional information about the vacancy that candidates need to be aware of. Examples could include: The requirement to work away from home Travel Study for additional qualifications/exams Travel Link: You could include a link to Travel line so that candidates can get an idea of how long it may take them to travel to work. This is a useful link to include: Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 7 of 23

8 Wording about direct approach to employers: If you do not want candidates to approach the employer directly about the vacancy, you should include a statement in this section to specify this. For example: All applications must be made through Apprenticeship vacancies. Do not contact the employer direct as this may result in your application not being considered. Funding Arrangements: Providers can also clarify Apprenticeship funding arrangements here: Training on the Apprenticeships Programme for 16 to 18 year olds is a priority and fully-funded by Government. Training for Apprenticeships for those over this age is part funded, with employers expected to make a part or full contribution. Apprenticeship Minimum Wage: The paragraph below should be included in all vacancies which offer less than the National Minimum Wage. It is not required for those offering a higher wage: The National Minimum Wage (NMW) for Apprentices is 2.73 per hour. From October 1 st 2015 it increases to 3.30 per hour. This applies to year old Apprentices and those aged 19 and over in the first year of their Apprenticeship. For all other Apprentices the Apprentice National Minimum wage appropriate to their age applies. The Wage for Apprentices applies to both time spent on the job plus time spent training. More info is available at Supplementary Application Form Questions Each question had a 4000 Text Limit The Provider/Employer has the option of inserting two additional questions. The questions need to be appropriate to the vacancy and/or help to identify a candidate s wider attributes and motivations. It is important that these questions are structured in a way that make sense and are not leading. They should be open questions to encourage candidates to give more than a one word answer. For example: `Have you worked in a team before? will encourage a candidate to answer `yes` or `no`. Whereas if the question was: `Tell me about a time when you have worked as part of a team`, you will get a more detailed response. Other examples of questions you could ask are? What key personal qualities do you feel you have that will make you a suitable candidate for this role? Please give examples. What interests you in joining (Company name)? Why are you interested in an Apprenticeship in ******? All candidates will be required to answer the supplementary questions and the responses given will give providers an idea of whether they will be suitable for the vacancy. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 8 of 23

9 Step 4 of 4 Application Details Closing Date This must be specified and be realistic. We recommend you give at least a two week deadline. Interview Start Date Possible Start Date How do you want the Candidate to Apply? This must be specified. Dates between the closing date and interview date should be realistic. Interviews may start before the closing date but no appointment should be made (see next section) Be realistic the date should be after interviews have been completed. Care should be taken not to start someone while the vacancy is still live and people are still applying. If a suitable person is found before the closing date then the vacancy should be closed early to prevent disappointment. Select one of the following options: o Online Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service If this option is selected, the application will be managed through the system by the Vacancy Manager (Learning Provider). You will need to make sure you log on to the system on a regular basis to progress applications on the vacancy ladder o Online Employer s Recruitment Site If this is the selected option, you should add details of the employer website as well as giving instructions on how to apply via that website. Candidate applications will not be included in any of the alerts or tasks on your home page. The employer will then be responsible for managing applications through their own processes. Once a candidate is selected, then it is the your (as Vacancy Manager) responsibility to update the vacancy with the number of `Successful Offline Applicants` before completing the vacancy. Note: By not following this process it will have an adverse effect on your Av Success Rates as you will not be capturing ALL successful candidates. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 9 of 23

10 Annex 1 Checklist to be used prior to submitting a vacancy for approval Please use the below table as a checklist before submitting your vacancy through to the Apprenticeship vacancies (Av) team, this will help to keep referrals to a minimum. Check list Have you proof read the whole advert looking for spelling or grammatical errors? Hint: Use the Spellchecker in all sections Have you checked with your employer that they are happy with the content? Is the vacancy title meaningful and include the word Apprentice or Apprenticeship? Have you checked that the number of vacancies is correct? Have you checked the wage is correct and meets or exceeds the apprentice minimum wage requirements? Have you clearly shown the working hours and days and the total paid hours per week? Remember that these can be expanded on in the Important Other section. Have you chosen the correct Framework i.e. the most appropriate one relative to the Job Role? Are all sections fully completed including the 2 additional questions (if applicable)? Have you put the correct name and telephone number in the Contact Name field this should be the person who has submitted the advert? Have you checked the Closing, Interview and Start dates are correct and sufficient time is available between them in order to process all applications efficiently? REMEMBER: Good quality vacancies will attract more applications and result in fewer being returned to you for further work. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 10 of 23

11 Annex 2 - Wider guidance on vacancies and other related information It is important that all vacancies conform to Employment Law. Providers will need to work with their employers to ensure that these requirements are met. The minimum hours of employment for an apprentice is 30 hours per week, except in the minority of circumstances where the learner cannot complete the full 30 hours, or where it is the norm for the sector to have lower working hours per week. In these cases employment must be in excess of 16 hours per week. Where the working week is to be less than 30 hours, we would expect the duration of the Apprenticeship to be increased accordingly. The table below gives a guide on the increases we would expect to see in duration. This does not include reductions in duration based on prior learning for the 19+ age group. Note that the durations below are a bare minimum. Where duration of greater than 12 months is specified in the SASE Framework, duration should be increased accordingly. Hours / week Minimum Duration (months) 30 or more and 2 weeks and 2 weeks and 2 weeks Workers aged 16 and 17: the rules Workers who are over the minimum school-leaving age but under 18 must not work for more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. The hours worked cannot be averaged out and there is no opt-out available. Anyone employed in this age group must also be given: a break of 30 minutes every four-and-a-half hours worked a rest period of 12 hours between each working day two days off a week Young workers may not ordinarily work at night between 10pm and 6am. Guidance on Working hours for young people can be found via the following link: Discrimination To avoid age discrimination it is advisable not to use such phrases as "young and dynamic", "would suit someone who has just qualified" or "minimum of ten years' experience" as these may lead to age bias. It is unlawful for a job advertisement to specify that applicants must be of a particular gender, race, etc. Information about Positive Action in recruitment can be found at Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 11 of 23

12 Driving Licence Do not included phrases like must hold a full current driving licence unless driving is an ESSENTIAL part of the role. Requesting a licence purely because of vacancy location or poor public transport routes is not a valid reason. The decision on how people travel to work rests with the individuals. Any reason other than it being essential for the role would discriminate against 16 year olds. Qualifications should not be age related. Providers must state (or equivalent) when quoting a specific qualification such as GCSEs so as to not discriminate against people who hold alternative qualifications of the same or a higher standard. Apprenticeship Training Agencies (ATA) Apprenticeship Training Agencies (ATA) are designed to increase the engagement of employers in apprenticeships. All approved ATA s must work with providers offering a quality standard as set out in the ATA Quality Framework. The ATA model must not be used by providers merely to meet the employment condition for apprenticeships; there must be a named host employer from the start. Assessment periods When advertising, some employers may wish to include some sort of time period in order for both the employer and the candidate to make an informed decision as to whether they feel the position would be right for both parties. However, terminology such as Trial Periods or Free Trials should be avoided and actively discouraged. If, as part of the recruitment process, the employer wants short listed candidates to come in for a short assessment period (usually no more than half a day), this can be acceptable as long as it is part of their normal recruitment practices. However this must be on the basis that the candidates will be appointed if the employer is happy with them. Probationary Periods There is no problem with an apprentice being given a probationary period at the start of their employment if this is a normal practice of the employer and it is clearly stated in the employees terms and conditions. The same terms should be offered as those with other employees not undertaking an apprenticeship. However the apprentice must be fully employed during the probationary period and must be being paid the apprenticeship minimum wage as an absolute minimum. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 12 of 23

13 Annex 3 How to register employers and request ERN numbers In order to post vacancies on Apprenticeship vacancies (Av), the Av team has to link the employer to your provider site using an Employer Reference Number (ERN) generated by the Employer Data Service (EDS) also known as a Unique Reference Number (URN). The ERN is also known as the Employer ID on field A44 of the learner's ILR. EDS website address is: EDS User Guide: When an employer is not set up they can be added by inputting details on EDS and the User Guide link above will be helpful. EDS will then contact the employer within 24 hours and if they manage to speak to the employer and the employer co-operates an ERN number will be generated and ed to you. Should your search confirm that there is not currently a record for the employer in the database a new record must be added using the process outlined in the above user guide. Providers will be updated on the progress of their request via . If the employer cannot be contacted then it could be 2/3 days before EDS try again as they work on a strict rotational basis for managing calls. Where EDS have not been given sufficient information, or the employer has not been warned to expect the call, then the employer may assume that this is a cold calling company and will not speak to EDS. In this instance EDS will reject the record and no ERN number will be generated. To combat this issue, we now recommend that you follow this procedure: When submitting the request on EDS ensure that the Training Requirements section states that it is an ERN request for an advert on Apprenticeship vacancies. Contact the employer to advise them that a company called EDS will be calling and that they should co-operate with the call and verify the following details: - Company Name - Postcode/Address - Number of sites for the business - Company Legal Status - Number of employees - Any trading names/owner organisations etc - Please note that EDS operators inform the employer that they are calling on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency. EDS will then try to contact the employer in order to verify the details they have are correct and once done they will be able to confirm the ERN number. If EDS cannot get hold of the employer, they will you to say that they have tried but without success. At this stage you may want to contact the employer and ask them to ring EDS rather than wait for a follow up call. They can ring EDS on and ask to verify their record. Once this has been done the ERN will be generated and ed to you. If you communicate this process to employers it should hopefully minimise any delays or issues. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 13 of 23

14 Annex 4 Top 10 reasons vacancies are referred back Listed below are some of the most common reasons why the Av team may refer vacancies back for further work. Wherever possible small typing errors will be corrected by the team but there are a few fields we are unable to edit e.g. Working Week, Weekly Wage. 1. Incorrect Framework This is where the one shown does not fit the role being advertised. If the most appropriate Framework is not one you deliver then should you really be working with the employer? 2. Insufficient information regarding working week/hours Total hours, working days or Shifts not explained clearly use the Other Important Information section of the advert to expand on working patterns 3. Insufficient information about the vacancy itself The Vacancy Description does not clearly show what the job involves and what applicants can expect to be doing on a daily basis 4. Insufficient information about the employer Do not make the employers anonymous and always include a reasonable description of what the employer does sell them 5. Spelling mistakes and grammar We endeavour to correct small mistakes where possible but if there are many errors we will refer for amendment Illegal statement Wording that is discriminatory such as: must be over 18, young person required, must have 5 years experience etc. 6. Missing statement about the apprenticeship NMW If the wage being offered is below the national Minimum Wage then the standard wage paragraph should always be included in the Important Other Information section 7. Future prospects section has been left blank This should always include something to inform applicants of career progression opportunities or further training opportunities to sell the advert 8. Training to be provided - left blank or not enough information This should always cover exactly what qualifications the applicants can expect to achieve 9. Very large blank spaces Some vacancies come through to us for approval and contain very large gaps between paragraphs. Sometimes the gaps are visible prior to submission but sometimes they are not. This may be as a result of the Internet Browser you are using as Av is optimised for use with Internet Explorer. Please add in to your Compatibility View settings as this can help to prevent gaps appearing see Annex 6 for more information. A lot of the above may seem very obvious but a lot of vacancies do come through for approval with a number of errors on them. If an extra check can be made that all sections have been completed correctly, prior to submission, it will have a positive effect on reducing the number requiring further work therefore saving you a lot of time and also ensuring vacancies are approved and made LIVE quicker. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 14 of 23

15 Annex 5 Advice on filling vacancies Filling vacancies with good quality applicants is key to providing employers with an excellent service. However, as you will be aware, some adverts do not attract many applicants or when they do, they are of poor quality. The Av team can publicise adverts via e-shots or social media routes but this should only be after all other avenues have been explored. There are a number of things you can do to promote your own adverts and the following provides some helpful tips and advice so that you are able to maximise the number and quality of candidates applying: 1) Check the following: A) Is your advert appealing to the applicant? B) Is there enough information in the advert? C) Is the vacancy(s) in a rural location? If so then please give details and advice regarding transportation arrangements. D) Is the Short Description of the vacancy/job role sufficient? (as this is displayed when a candidate runs an initial search) E) Competitive salary F) Progression opportunities G) Appealing/attractive job title 2) Have you contacted your local careers referral agencies to check if they have suitable applicants? e.g. Connexions/ LA/ JCP/ National Careers Service or Foundation Learning Providers 3) Have you contacted the Third sector youth groups (Community/voluntary) in your area regarding suitable applicants? 4) Have you worked in collaboration with your local PR (Free press/radio) or promoted to schools or any local careers events? Are you working collaboratively with your provider network regarding coordinated activity? 5) Have you considered flyers in local community centres or posters? 6) Have you considered sending a mail merge to candidates who have applied for your previous vacancies and have been unsuccessful? Revisit any candidates that have applied previously and been unsuccessful. Bring them in for an assessment day or to provide help with applications and interview techniques. 8) Have you used social media such as Facebook or Twitter to promote your vacancy? Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 15 of 23

16 Annex 6 Hints, Tips & Useful info The following paragraphs give some useful information on good practice. Please bear these in mind when using the system. Compatibility View (for spacing) This is usually due to one of these reasons: Cutting and pasting from a highly formatted document. Only cut and past plain text and use the formatting tools within Av to add bold or bullet points. If the original text uses complex font(s) change it all to a regular sized, plain font such as Arial 12 before cutting/copying. Cutting and pasting from a PDF document: Avoid this as the text editor within Av can t handle it and doesn t allow deleting of these types of gaps; there is also a high possibility of the vacancy becoming corrupt Using an incompatible internet browser e.g. Google Chrome. Possible Solution: To remove the gaps go onto your internet browser and choose TOOLS then COMPATIBILITY VIEW SETTINGS. You then need to ADD and and follow the onscreen instructions. The last page of the vacancy creation process allows you to view the vacancy before submitting it. If you see large gaps please remove them before submission. The below link includes the browser information from the accessibility page: Tasks and Alerts Please ensure that you acknowledge all New Applications as soon as possible. In addition to this you need to make sure that existing applications are progressed as swiftly as possible through the system. Please move individual applications on the Vacancy Recruitment Ladder into either In Progress, Successful or Unsuccessful as required with the minimum of delay. If you have LIVE vacancies you should check your Av homepage at least every 24 hours to ensure any new applications are managed as soon as possible; you also need to continually review your ongoing vacancies recording the actions and decisions you have made against applications as appropriate. Please note that the alert Unfilled vacancies where closing date has passed does NOT include vacancies where applicants have been directed off line to employers own recruitment sites. You will need to track these separately in order to update vacancies with Off-Line successes (see next paragraph). Definition of Successful candidates - Online & Offline All vacancies posted on Av should be updated with the correct number of successful applicants PRIOR to being Completed. This relates to all successes whether Online or Offline: For clarification the definition for a completed successful vacancy is as follows:- Online A vacancy that has candidate applications through Av that are progressed through the vacancy ladder to successful are all recorded as successful online. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 16 of 23

17 Offline A vacancy where the application is not made through Av, but the successful candidate has either seen the vacancy on AV or the provider/employer has engaged the candidate as a result of Av, can be recorded as successful offline. Some examples are as follows:- Process A vacancy receives candidate applications in Av and a single candidate is progressed through the vacancy ladder to successful. Is this a successful online? Valid Successful Yes A vacancy receives candidate applications in Av and multiple candidates are progressed through the vacancy ladder to successful. Is this a successful online, with the vacancy volume adjusted accordingly? A vacancy receives candidate applications in Av and no candidate is successful, but a candidate who has seen the vacancy on Av but did not apply through Av is successful, can the vacancy be completed as successful offline? A vacancy receives candidate applications in Av and no candidate is successful, but a candidate who was engaged by a provider through Av but did not apply for the vacancy through Av is successful, can the vacancy be completed as successful offline? A vacancy receives candidate applications in Av and no candidate is successful, but a candidate who was engaged by the provider outside of Av is appointed. Can the vacancy be completed as successful offline? A vacancy receives no candidate applications in Av but the employer appoints an employee to the position. Can the Vacancy be completed as successful offline? A vacancy receives candidate applications as click throughs from Av to the employer or provider website and also other applications direct to their website. Can the provider complete all appointments as successful offline? Yes Yes Yes No No No, only those who have clicked through from Av Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 17 of 23

18 Provider Profiles You should all take the opportunity to frequently check and update your Provider Profiles on Av. Occasionally, changes are made to Frameworks by awarding bodies/sase and this will require amendments to your Profile. All providers should access Av regularly and bring their profile up to date by checking all four steps are fully complete and accurate. This is particularly important as your Profile is a free marketing tool, used by employers and candidates, and if not up to date could potentially lose you business. It is also used by our Employer Services and Small Business teams when making employer referrals and if your profile is not complete it may affect who employers are referred to. Importance of Av Success Rates The NAS monitors Providers Av success rates. These are measured by calculating the number of successful candidates you achieve measured as a % of the number of Completed vacancies you have. For example: 10 successful candidates against 10 Completed vacancies will equate to 100%, 5 successful candidates against 10 Completed vacancies equates to 50%. Therefore it is very important that you record ALL successes (both On-Line and Off-Line) prior to completing vacancies. Provider Av success rates are one of the many things taken into account when deciding who to refer employers to. Employers web site address Providers need to make sure that it s the employers Web Site address that is put into this section and not an address. Av allows you to check the link works prior to submission for approval. Key Dates Take care when entering Closing, Interview and Start dates on your adverts. When the Closing date is entered the Interview and Start dates automatically default to the same date so it is important these are corrected with accurate dates before submission. These dates are not editable by the Av team so check they are accurate leaving reasonable time gaps between them. Short Description This is a very important as it is this description that appears in the initial results when candidates search for apprenticeships on the website and it is also shown in RSS feeds. It gives the opportunity to really sell the role and make it appealing to candidates so they are encouraged to open the full vacancy and read more. Please note that the Short Description appears in search results through Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) and NOT on the full advert in Av. When candidates click on the search results to view the full vacancy details it is the Long Description that is shown. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 18 of 23

19 Web Services There is a range of services to allow provider s to more easily share and process information between Av and your own systems. These are: RSS feeds You can obtain a range of real-time feeds of vacancies that can be displayed on your website and across a host of other partners sites for extensive coverage and exposure. It is a great way to share your vacancies by providing enough information to attract applicants to find out more and apply. Service to allow you to submit multiple vacancies If you have a series of vacancies to upload at once and/or at regular intervals this service allows you to upload these in one go as opposed to individually completing the vacancy template and submitting them. This could save you significant resource and time. This can be used for Online and Offline vacancies. Service to allow you to publish your vacancies (as a summary or detailed description) This is similar to our RSS feeds, and enables your live vacancies to be pulled from Apprenticeship vacancies and housed within your own recruitment systems/websites and by other partners systems. This again provides extensive coverage and exposure of your vacancies. Service to enable you to track and upload into Av offline application tracking For Offline vacancies (where applications are sent direct to the employers recruitment site) we have established a new service to enable you to automatically update us with the number of successful applicants. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact nationalhelpdesk@apprenticeships.gov.uk To use one of these services you will need to complete a form at the following link: Application - Hints and Tips Whilst writing your advert for Av please consider inserting all or some of the details below into your advert (Important other information section), this gives the candidates some hints and tips when applying: Make sure you have checked the advert to ensure you have the qualifications you need to apply Make sure you regularly save your application. You will be logged out of the system after 30 minutes of inactivity (not clicking on links or save buttons on the sections of the application form), and you may lose information which has not been saved When you prepare your application, think carefully about the role you are interested in and your skills Ensure you provide full details of your GCSE (or equivalent) qualifications Make sure you have filled in all the sections of the application and answered each question fully. Consider preparing your answers in a word document, then cut and paste into the application when you're happy with them Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 19 of 23

20 Annex 7 Vacancy template (Optional) - for use when working with employers Vacancy Details Vacancy Title This must accurately reflect the job description Employer Name Vacancy Short Description This needs to give a clear, concise summary of the nature of the role and what it involves. This is the first section a candidate see s when searching for a vacancy, this needs to be eye catching. (256 Character Text Limit) Vacancy Full Description The vacancy full description should clearly identify the tasks and responsibilities involved within the role. (4000 Character Text Limit) Weekly Wage 2.73 p.h. ( 3.30) from 1/10/15) is the minimum an employer can pay. Always ask the employer what they would like to pay and negotiate a higher wage. The minimum wage is a guideline but a higher wage will attract more candidates. Working Week This must clearly state: Working days Times A summary of hours If further explanation is required explain it in the Other Important Information section. Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 20 of 23

21 Future Prospects What future prospect are there for the candidate once the apprenticeship they have applied for has finished/completed. (4000 Character Text Limit) Wage Incentive Are they eligible for the age grant? Employer Description This should clearly describe who the employer is and what they do. (4000 Character Text Limit) Employer Positive about Disabled Two Ticks scheme On setting up the employer please check if they are registered for the Positive about Disabled Two Ticks scheme. If asked why - it guarantees an interview for those with a declared disability, who are suitably qualified. Location Type Are the job/s at one location or Multiple sites? Number of Vacancies Job Role (Framework) The Framework must relate directly to the Vacancy Role Description and the Role Title Vacancy Type Intermediate Apprenticeship Advanced Apprenticeship Higher Apprenticeship Training to be Provided This should clearly describe the training that the successful candidate will undertake. Will the candidate be expected to attend college or release day? What qualifications will they work towards Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 21 of 23

22 Expected Apprenticeship Duration Skills Required The skills the employer would like the candidate to have. (4000 Character Text Limit) Personal Qualities The type of person they are looking for. Qualifications List the qualifications the employer would like the candidate to have. Reality Check Any other requirements that are specific to this particular position for example long hours on a computer, working outside in all weathers. Important Other Information (4000 Character Text Limit) (4000 Character Text Limit) (4000 Character Text Limit) Please use this section if you would like to mention anything else which you have not already included in other sections of the advert. 2 x Questions Are there any questions the employer would like to ask to help them find a specific calibre of candidates? Closing Date At least a two week deadline. Interview Start Date Can be before the closing date Possible Start Date Must be after the Interview date and Closing date Application Method Providers will select one of the following options: o Online Apprenticeship Vacancy How do you want the Candidate to Apply? Please tick the relevant box: Online Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 22 of 23

23 Matching Service If this option is selected, the application will be managed through the system. Online Employer s Recruitment Site If the Employer s Recruitment Site box is ticked please fill out the below section o Online Employer s Recruitment Site Providers will be requested to add details of the employer website as well as giving instructions on how to apply through the website. Application Instructions: Website Address Guidance on submitting a vacancy Page 23 of 23