Apprenticeships

In addition to the qualities listed in the apprenticeship role profiles in our adverts, you will need to meet the following eligibility checks by the start date of the role – this will ensure that we can fund the apprenticeship according to the Government funding rules. It is essential that you list the grades requested – we will not progress an application if the details are not included, so it would be a shame for you to miss out:

Level 2:

• For a role in England and Northern Ireland: Typically, a minimum of 2 GCSEs which must include English and maths at grade E/2 or functional skills level 1 or equivalent (if you hold an EHCP, entry level 3 in English and maths is acceptable) unless we have specified otherwise in the advert – we can then support you to obtain your level 2
• For a role in Wales: Typically, a minimum of 2 GCSEs which must include English and maths at grade E/2 (or First Language Welsh at grade E or above) or essential skills level 1(if you hold an EHCP, entry level 3 in English and maths is acceptable) – we can then support you to obtain your level 2

Level 3:

• A minimum of 5 GCSEs which must include English and maths at grade C/4 (or First Language Welsh at grade C or above for roles in Wales) or functional/essential skills level 2 or equivalent

Level 4:

• A minimum of 5 GCSEs which must include English and maths at grade C/4 or above (or First Language Welsh at grade C or above for roles in Wales) or functional/essential skills level 2 or equivalent, in addition to 2 A levels, BTEC, T Level’s or an equivalent level 3 qualification

All levels:

• Aged 16 or over and have completed year 11 – if you are awaiting results let us know your predicted grades
• Not in full time education, or on any other training or education programme – such as on a degree course that will not have finished before the start date
• Have the right to work in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for three consecutive years before starting the apprenticeship – we will ask you to verify this if you progress to interview and check with the Apprenticeships team if you are unsure
• Able to travel to work location – think about how you can get there, as often there may be early starts or later finishes so please look into that so you know this is the right role for you

If you have a qualification in the same or a related subject to this apprenticeship or have substantial relevant work experience this may prevent us from being able to access Government funding and so we would be unable to enrol you – this will be verified if your application progresses (for example, a level 2 RHS qualification will exclude you from the level 2 Horticulture apprenticeship, but you would be eligible to apply for one of our grade 10 roles instead).

If you are unsure of any of the above, please contact the Apprenticeships team to check, as we want to help you apply for the right role.

We receive a lot of applications, and these are our top tips to help your application stand out:

• Check your spelling – ask someone else to check it if you can, so you can be sure it reads clearly
• Answer the questions you’ve been asked, be concise and link it back to the advert and job role
• We don’t expect you to have loads of experience – just lots of enthusiasm and be keen to learn, so make sure that shines through
• Answer all the questions – don’t leave any gaps, including detailing your previous experience and all previous and pending qualifications
• We are now limiting applications to no more than 3 per apprenticeship role and will not consider additional applications. If you’re applying for more than one location, if you are successful, we will only interview you once and the line managers from those sites will interview you together
• Your application will still be considered by all the other sites you have applied for and you may be invited to the next stage with them as well
• If you’re relocating, research the area and review accommodation availability and transport links – we want you to make the right choice for you

We’ll usually interview you online with the line managers from the location you applied for. Please do let us know if you may need any adjustments to this process – we want you to be comfortable and confident. If you progress to the next stage, we’ll invite you to the site to meet the team (and cover your travel expenses if needed), be given an overview of the site (this may be outside, depending on the role so we will let you know if you need to bring some comfortable shoes and coat if it’s a bit chilly) and maybe do a practical activity (depending on the role). We will let you know more details beforehand. This is your chance to ask us questions and get a feel for the role and location. Remember, this is your future career – you’re interviewing us too. Here are some hints and tips to help you prepare for our selection process:

Before your online interview

• Check your connection – we can arrange a test call if that helps
• Select a suitable location where you won’t be disturbed
• Think about your backdrop – try to remove any distractions if you can
• Make sure your computer is plugged in – you don’t want to have a flat battery
• Dress for success – this will help you feel more confident and comfortable
• Research the National Trust – use our external pages and read the stories from our current apprentices on this page – you can never be too prepared
• Think about what questions you want to ask us – this is about your future too

During the interview

• Be ready to talk about yourself – we want to find out more about you and why you’ve applied
• Ask for questions to be repeated if needed – we won’t mind
• Pause if you need to and take time to think about your answers – we’ll always make sure there’s plenty of time
• Don’t be afraid to make notes as you go and ask any questions you have at the end
• Try to relax – we already know you have potential, that’s why we are interviewing you