This is an introduction, onboarding, and advice and support guide for all new apprentices benefitting from the East Bank Shared Apprenticeship Programme.
What does this guide contain?
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Information on Workwhile, East Bank, and the East Bank apprenticeship programme; its aims and context, including exclusive benefits and training on offer to you
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Introduction to starting an apprenticeship & your first three months
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Your apprentice employment rights and logistical information
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Financial, and health & wellbeing advice and apprentice discounts
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Free educational and creative sector opportunities available in and around the Olympic Park and East Bank
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Communities and networking opportunities for apprentices
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Coming towards the end of your apprenticeship
1. Information on Workwhile, East Bank, and the East Bank apprenticeship programme; its aims and context, including exclusive benefits and training on offer to you
1) Who are Workwhile?
Workwhile is small charity, with a mission to create a more equitable world of work. We exist because access to good quality work is deeply unfair, with people from disadvantaged and marginalised groups far more likely to be stuck in poor quality work than their peers. So, we work with employers to create more good work, and to ensure everyone can access it.
To date, Workwhile has created over 2,300 new apprenticeships for low-paid, disadvantaged and marginalised Londoners.
We are the organisation that was selected to design and co-create the East Bank’s approach to apprenticeships to encourage social mobility and local growth in East London.
What is the East Bank?
East Bank is the UK’s newest cultural quarter in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It’s a unique collaboration between cultural institutions, world leading universities and the people of the Olympic boroughs.
It comprises of BBC Music Studios, London College of Fashion (UAL), Sadlers Wells East, UCL East and V&A East. London College of Fashion, UAL and UCL are open for students, cutting-edge research and a variety of exhibitions and events. You can visit Sadler's Wells East for a range of dance performances and learning opportunities. V&A East Storehouse is also now open for a behind-the-scenes look at the working stores of the V&A.
The final venues to open are V&A East Museum in spring 2026 and BBC Music Studios in late 2026/early 2027. More information and newsletters to sign up to about what’s on can be found here.
Exclusive East Bank hosted training and personal development opportunities
As part of the East Bank Programme that Workwhile deliver alongside UCL, V&A, BBC, Sadlers Wells and UAL, we transferred funds to your employer to cover the training cost of your apprenticeship. As well as this, there are other additional free benefits you can access as part of this exciting place-based programme; one of which is this series of Personal Development training sessions hosted at the brand-new sites in Stratford. All are one hour of content with 15 minutes networking and refreshments at the end and will be hosted in person on the East Bank. A great way to meet other local apprentices as well as form a relationship with your levy sponsor.
East Bank Apprentice Personal Development Series
Session 1: The Power of Networking What do we mean by networks and networking? What's the value of a network? Getting to know your own network and mapping it widely
Session 2: Motivation and prioritisation Understanding and harnessing motivation, optimising time and productivity including pomodoro, eating the frog, and the importance of the urgency matrix
Session 3: Effective objective setting SMART objectives, how to set them, outlining responsibility and Locke's goal setting theory
Session 4: Influencing for success Influencing up and down, understanding personal power, active listening and trust
Session 5: Feedback and difficult conversations The theory of radical candour, methods for feedback, three features of effective feedback, 9 rules for difficult conversations
Session 6: Coaching skills to boost your career Direction and non-directive coaching, GROW model, what makes a good question and success cycles
Email us with your name and employer at (our info inbox info@workwhile.org.uk) if you would be interested in taking part in the above series of sessions, with the subject line ‘east bank personal development’. We deliver training based on demand, have a minimum of 8 apprentices per cohort, so will wait until this number is met and then will make sure the timing works for you and the rest of the group.
The East Bank partners (UCL, UAL, V&A, BBC and Sadlers Wells) would also like to keep in touch with you via Workwhile to invite you to East London focused apprenticeship events, including but not limited to:
- National apprenticeship week networking events, jobs fairs, and webinars
- Tours of the new state of the art venues and museums
- UAL’s coaching offer from their own coaching apprentices to their levy recipient organisations
- Opportunities to attend other free events on the Olympic Park
As an East Bank apprentice your email will be automatically added to the mailing list for the above opportunities, if you’d like it to be removed from this list at any time you can simply let us know at info@workwhile.org.uk
2. Introduction to starting an apprenticeship & your first three months
Congratulations on starting your apprenticeship!
Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to earn whilst you learn, this will require you to balance being a student and a full-time member of staff at the same time. This involves working well with both your training provider and your employer – this may take some getting used to.
You’re now part of an exciting journey that will combine real work experience with training, specifically designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge you need for your career. As an apprentice you will:
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Spend at least 20% of your time in off-the-job training and your employer should be factoring this into your work hours, and you are paid at the same hourly rate across all your work hours including training
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Manage your own workload of training, assessment and assignments with your tutor/training provider, completing the work on time and preparing for portfolio for end point assessment
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Also be an important part of your team at your employer, working closely with your team, line manager and managing an employee’s workload and responsibilities
If you have any questions at all on your assignments and training – best to direct these to your tutor. And likewise with any questions about your tasks and responsibilities with your employer, best to ask these to your line manager.
What to expect within the first three months
• Probation: your line manager should have met with you to set out your objectives and what is required for you to pass your probationary period. Once probation is passed you become a full-time employee with the full company benefits.
• Induction: depending on the processes and size of your employer you may receive some or all of the following as part of your induction to the role; policies, health and safety information, company processes overview, staff handbook, information on your contract, annual leave, payslips, sick pay etc.
• Training plan: your training provider should outline your full training plan for the duration of your apprenticeship; your line manager should also have overview of this so they can map out where your job will be relevant to the learning
3. Your apprentice employment rights and logistical information
As an apprentice you have the same employment rights as any other employee, plus some that apprenticeship-specific:
• You should receive both an apprenticeship agreement (signed by you, your employer and your training provider) and an employment contract (between you and your employer)
• As an East Bank funded apprentice, you should be being paid at least the National Living Wage, which is currently £12.21 per hour (from April 2025 – May 2026). You can check this via your payslip.
• Your hours per week need to be at least 30, if not more – you should be able to find these details in your employment contract along with your exact working hours
• Your time spent training counts towards the above working hours, for which you are paid the same rate
• You are entitled to at least 20 days’ paid holiday per year plus bank holidays, to book annual leave via your company policy consult your line manager, HR Team or Staff Handbook
• Sick leave and sick pay will vary depending on your employer’s policy, but should be at least the Statutory Sick Pay minimum
• If you have any further questions on your employment rights, you can contact ACAS for free and confidential information about your rights at work. Link here.
4. Financial, and health & wellbeing advice and apprentice discounts
• If you are a care leaver and aged between 16 and 24 you are entitled to a Care Leaver Bursary of £3,000, paid in three instalments via your training provider. More info on this here.
• Universal Credit: Depending on your circumstances, you may still claim Universal Credit while working as an apprentice. Speak to your Work Coach or check the gov.uk Universal Credit guide.
• Council Tax: Some councils offer reductions for apprentices. Check with your local authority
• There is further support for apprentices with any learning difficulties or disabilities through reasonable adjustments from your employer and here. funding.
• Apprentices under 25 years of age pay reduced Class 1 employee National Insurance contributions meaning a higher take home pay.
• Apprentice Oyster card discount – 30% off travelcards and bus/tram passes for travel within London. For this you will need to know your apprenticeship number from the DFE, if you don’t have this ask your training provider to send it to you.
• For travel outside of London, dependent on your age there is a railcard for you providing 1/3 off train travel outside of TFL
• TOTUM Apprentice card offers discounts on shopping, entertainment, holidays and subscriptions, including a free photo ID. You may be entitled to a UNiDAYS or Student Beans discount card too.
Health and wellbeing support:
Nationwide:
• NHS services for mental and physical health
• Mind and Young Minds for mental health resources
• Samaritans (116 123) for free, confidential support 24/7
East London local services:
• Safe East: A confidential NHS service for young people (up to 19, or up to 25 if in care/SEN/disability) living or studying in Tower Hamlets. Provides support around sexual health, drug and alcohol use
• There are a variety of support networks and services operated by East London NHS Foundation Trust, including Shout, Step Forward, Docklands Outreach, Spotlight and more
• MindIRIE Mind: A specialised, culturally-informed mental health service for Black, African, and Caribbean people aged 16+, offering one-to-one therapy, group sessions, and coaching—for residents in City of London, Hackney, and Waltham Forest
5. Free educational and creative sector opportunities available in and around the Olympic Park and East Bank
• Good Growth Hub: Career support, job boards, mentoring
• Cultural programming: Rotating art displays, performances, and open exhibitions from East Bank partners
• Outdoor spaces: Fitness areas, public art trails, and nature walks across the Olympic Park
• V&A East Storehouse: Explore over 250,000 objects in open storage
Other support for young people offered by Hackney, Waltham Forest, Newham, and Tower Hamlets local authorities:
Hackney
• Young Hackney Hub offers free GP appointments, sexual health clinics, substance misuse support, 1:1 or group wellbeing for ages 11 – 25
• Young Hackney Hub is their employment support services for residents
Waltham Forest
• Future Formed is a faction of the above that focuses on 16–30-year-olds in the creative industries
Newham
• Our Newham Work is the Stratford based one stop shop for employment support for Newham residents, as well as advice on housing benefit, debt advice and more
• There is also more advice and support for wellbeing in the borough for families through Newham Families
Tower Hamlets
• There are a range of services and support for young people in Tower Hamlets listed under Young Tower Hamlets
• And employment services here under Jobs and Careers
6. Communities and networking opportunities for apprentices
• Download the government apprenticeship app
• Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
• Care Experienced Apprentice Network
• Multi-cultural apprenticeship awards
7. Coming towards the end of your apprenticeship
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Apprentices can apply for the ‘Post apprenticeship recognition scheme’ (PARS) which means completed apprentices can add letters to their names similar to university degrees
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If you are interested in staying within your organisation post-apprenticeship it’s a good idea to raise this with your line manager in a 121 meeting ahead of your end point assessment so they can see what might be available
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If you are looking for your next step elsewhere there are many places you can go for careers advice, including the GLA’s Careers Hubs across London (this is the East London Hub), the local authorities mentioned above, the National Careers Service, your training provider may have advice on the best next step qualification wise, or you can research yourself into the certain job title or sector that you’d like to move into
Workwhile and the East Bank partners are delighted to have supported your apprenticeship, and we wish you all the best with your next career steps!