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  • Start Your Career: Skills & Trainee Pathways

    Topics:
    • Employment and skills programmes (including apprenticeships)

    Help to take steps into the world of work. Whether you are leaving school, returning to work, changing career, or looking to gain new skills, there are pathways available to help you build the knowledge, confidence, and experience employers are looking for.

    Skills for Life and Work 

    Skills for Life and Work is a training programme designed for young people who have left school and want to gain skills and prepare for employment. Skills for Life and Work is for you if you are a young person who has left school but need experience of work along with qualifications at Level 1 or Entry Level.

    Skills for Life and Work

     

    Traineeships

    Whether you are a school leaver or an adult, a traineeship gives you the opportunity to gain work experience in an area you are interested in, while improving your English and Maths and building the skills employers are looking for.

    • They are delivered by the six regional Further Education colleges
    • Local employers will provide support for work based learning
    • They can help you progress to a full-time job, apprenticeship or further education 
    • A Traineeship is typically completed over 1 to 2 years (full-time)
    • Available across a wide range of sectors, including those linked to green skills

    Eligibility

    To be eligible to apply, you must have a minimum of a Level 1 qualification, defined as:

    • Four GCSEs at grades D–G (including Maths and English at grades D–F), or equivalent

    Check if you might qualify for funding towards the traineeship programme

    Traineeship funding

    Traineeships

    Related content

    • Apprenticeships
    • Apprenticeships across Northern Ireland
    • Degree apprenticeships in Law in Northern Ireland
    • Develop or Learn New Skills
    • Developing your teams skills for the future
    • Essential Skills Enrolments and Outcomes
    • Green Skills Policies and Strategies
    • Higher Level Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland at FE colleges and CAFRE bulletins
    • I run a business or manage a team
    • I want to learn new skills or start my green skills journey
    • Jobs with the Best Salary Prospects
    • More ways to support your business
    • Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards 2024
    • Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards 2025
    • Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards 2026
    • Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week
    • Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 2026: Invest in Talent – Your Future Business
    • Northern Ireland Green Skills Eco-System
    • Qualifications in Northern Ireland
    • Real Life Stories on Green Skills
    • Skills Initiative Branch
    • Training Providers
    • WorldSkills Team UK 2026 - Shanghai
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