Your future
QA are proud to partner with the Association of Apprentices to provide information, advice and guidance to support you on your career journey
Click here to contact one of our Careers Information, Advice, and Guidance Coordinators and someone will be in contact to organise a session with you.
Find out more about the Association of Apprentices
AoA resources
You can approach career management in various ways, but it is important to understand yourself, your possible futures and the importance of planning your career journey. These AoA resources can help you to explore these concepts.
Career management
Skills & references
Challenges & change
Exploring career options
Building career skills
Post-Apprenticeship Recognition Scheme
As a partner of the Association of Apprentices (AoA), QA is delighted to share that on successful completion of your apprenticeship, you are eligible for a brand-new awards scheme.
The Post-Apprenticeship Recognition Scheme (PARS) recognises the unique educational route that is an apprenticeship, and rewards completed apprentices for the skills they have gained, and their commitment to continuous development and professional standards.
Recognition and how to apply
Depending on the level of apprenticeship you have completed, you can be awarded one of four levels of recognition, with the right to use post-nominals, and a certificate displaying the full title of the award. The post-nominals are letters that you can use after your name to indicate your achievements. For PARS these are:
- CSA - Certificate of Standard Apprenticeship.
- CAA - Certificate of Advanced Apprenticeship.
- CHA – Certificate of Higher Apprenticeship.
- CGA - Certificate of Graduate Apprenticeship.
To apply, you must have completed your apprenticeship since 1st January 2019, completed your apprenticeship in the UK and have the support of your employer (or an industry linked sponsor). You will also need proof of completion which is your apprenticeship certificate issued by the relevant authority.
There will be a cost depending on the level of recognition you apply for which is detailed on application.
Find out more and apply at the AoA
You can also download this easy to follow guide on the scheme and how to apply.
Apprenticeship success stories
“Working while studying meant that I could develop a range of practical skills as well as a deep understanding of industry practices which meant that my transition to my next role was seamless as I had spent 4 years developing these skills.”
“The apprenticeship was a key moment in my career. It allowed me to go from being a QA Engineer who wanted to be a developer to actually becoming one. The knowledge and skills I gained have not only helped me move forward in my career but also made me more confident in my abilities and contributions to my team and the company.”
“The apprenticeship has given me so much practical training, not only granular details and information, but also support on soft skills. It has given me so much confidence to be able to implement my learning straight away and see the impact of it immediately.”
“The apprenticeship has massively helped round out my ability both technically and professionally. Through some of my apprenticeship classrooms I learned about platforms such as Azure, and unlocking the use of these platforms enabled me to do my job at a much higher standard.”
“This apprenticeship means a great deal to me as I believe it will aid my journey to enhance my career, start the role of a business analyst and then open the door for my career over the next 10-20 years. This will be the start of my journey in business analysis.”
“The opportunity to ‘learn while you earn’ is fantastic and being thrown into the deep end of a working environment allowed me to pick up everything I needed to for my studies, make mistakes, learn from them and ultimately, complete my course to a high standard.”
“[The apprenticeship] allowed me to step into a Cyber Security role, whilst learning about how it all works on the job. I feel I always learn best when I’m actually doing the thing I’m learning about, so the apprenticeship was perfect for me.”
“I was looking for a qualification that gave me hands on experience for a career that both combined my passion for problem solving and would make a real difference to the company that I was a part of.”
“I have transformed from a Personal Assistant to being a brand-new Project Support Officer with no experience, to a fully qualified, experienced and confident Senior Project Manager within the space of two years.”
“The Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship has equipped me with the skills needed for the workplace in addition to gaining a degree, which has prepared me to handle complex tasks and responsibilities, giving me the confidence to take on new career challenges.”
“Throughout the duration of the apprenticeship; I was promoted twice, it’s also provided the valuable skills I needed to manage a growing team, as well as navigate the inner workings of a large and complex organisation.”
“I have developed a vast breath of knowledge around leadership that I have been able to utilise in several of the roles that I have undertaken throughout my apprenticeship.”