We work hard at Open Road West Norfolk to provide our students with vocational qualifications that will put them on a path to employment or further study. However, recognising that there is more to success than that, we promote self-awareness, self-esteem, and social skills in all our students, providing them with links to other organisations that can boost their chances of success, and providing a net of pastoral support.

TrAC Recruit partners with us to offer ad-hoc paid work experience placements to our students alongside their qualifications, as well as working towards potential apprenticeship placements as a next stage. This means they will gain relevant experience, boosting their CV and making a difference when choosing the next step on their journey, whether this is in the world of employment or further study.

TrAC Recruit works with local organisations to find apprenticeship and work experience placements for students close to home and within industries that they’re looking to progress into, matching students with local opportunities and the chance to study further at the College of West Anglia.

TrAC focuses on providing complete apprenticeships which means the student is fully employed for the duration of their training, not just for a one-off project, though an apprentice’s experience may be enriched by one or more different placements throughout their training. This is vital to a student’s continuation of an apprenticeship, offering them stability and support in a way that can sometimes fall short as well as a rounded and enriched experience.

Construction tutor instructing student within a training room

More Than Work

TrAC also offers our students the opportunity to receive supportive mentoring, linking them to local mentors who focus on subjects like CV writing, confidence building, and soft skills to improve their chances of hitting the ground running at the end of their time with Open Road.

Emily, an Apprenticeship Mentor with TrAC, visits us quarterly at Open Road to speak to the students and engage with them to focus on their aspirations beyond qualification attainment.

Emily recently visited in December to catch up with those currently signed up for the programme, as well as students under 16 and not yet able to join the scheme, keeping them engaged and invested in the possibilities that work experience could open up to them, talking about the future and where they want to be in a few years’ time.

Fully Supported

At Open Road West Norfolk, we partner with organisations like TrAC to set our students on a better path to their future. Our network of support, including local agencies, partners and organisations means that the students have a network of support to rely on that doesn’t stop once they complete their qualifications with us.

To find out more about how we support the young people who join us, you can visit our about us page.