Achieving Your Potential: A guide to making the move from school to FE and apprenticeships - for young people with vision impairmentsMany school leavers are keen to start their careers in an apprenticeship. Students with visual impairments are no exception, though they can face additional hurdles finding and securing an apprenticeship that suits them.This guide will take you through what an apprenticeship is, how to choose one that helps you fulfil your potential in the workplace, and how to communicate your accessibility needs.As the merits of a diverse workforce are becoming more apparent to business leaders, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core values of any modern business. However, RNIB studies show that only 1 in 4 people registered as blind or partially sighted are in employment. A number that hasn’t significantly changed in over 30 years. Clearly, it’s time to make a change!While all young people need to stay in some kind of education up to the age of 18, apprenticeships are becoming a popular way to bridge the gap between school and the workplace. There are over 300 apprenticeships available now in England. These prepare young people for their careers and provide a sound basis for on-the-job learning.Although many school leavers are keen to start their careers in an apprenticeship, students with visual impairments can face additional hurdles when finding and securing an apprenticeship that suits them. Meanwhile, organisations might not be sure how they can support a student with visual impairments.The good news is that there is technology and support in place to make an apprenticeship a fantastic option for school leavers who are blind or partially sighted.Read on to find out how to find the right course and get the support and adjustments you need as a student with a visual impairment; and find out how as a business – you can easily employ an apprentice with sight loss and ensure they are a valuable addition to your team.WHAT IS AN APPRENTICESHIP?An apprenticeship is an on-the-job learning experience. The apprentice works with an employer and has time at college to study their chosen course, which is related to that role.There are a number of different apprenticeships available to young people over 16. These are:- Level 2 – Intermediate level, which is equivalent to 5 GCSE’s.- Level 3 – Advanced level, which is equivalent to 2 A Levels- Levels 4, 5, 6 & 7 – Higher Level, equivalent to a foundation degree and above- Levels 6 & 7 – Degree Level, equivalent to a bachelor’s or masters degreeWHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR AN APPRENTICESHIP?You must be over 16 or over and live in England to start your apprenticeship.There are apprenticeships in Scotland , Wales or Northern Ireland though these have slightly different criteria. This article relates to apprenticeships in England, though some similarities may occur.Many will not require any previous experience or qualification, but for others you may need previous qualifications such as maths or English GCSE. This depends on the apprenticeship level.BENEFITS OF APPRENTICESHIPSDifferent to higher education courses, an apprenticeship means you study ‘on the job’. Apprentices are paid for their work and receive paid holidays. You will gain real-life work experience and gain workplace skills that you learn from experienced colleagues.In addition to working, you will have time allocated each week to train and study for your role. At least 20% of your normal working hours are spent on training and study. This training and study might take place in your workplace, at college, with a training provider or even online.WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE DURING COLLEGE STUDIES?Further education (FE) colleges support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in similar ways to schools. There is a SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years which colleges must follow, and as part of the Equality Act 2010 , mainstream FE colleges must do everything they reasona...