Early Connect is a unique pilot being delivered in partnership between the Department for Education and UCAS, aiming to support more young people onto apprenticeships, and to make it easier for employers to find apprentices.
You’re seeing this page because you’re currently supporting Year 13 students in one of our pilot regions: Lancashire, The North East, and Greater London, and have expressed an interest in taking part. The pilot will run during the academic year 2023/24.
The pilot will build upon the national services that are already in place through the DfE and UCAS and will provide students with exclusive access to additional support designed specifically for those interested in exploring and applying for apprenticeships alongside their other options (including undergraduate courses).
Resources to support you, your staff, parents and students
As part of the pilot you will be provided with additional resources, based on your feedback, that you can adapt and share to suit the needs of your school or college.
Below you can access the first edition – a series of slide decks for each audience covering the basics of apprenticeships, the background to Early Connect, and the support available to you on ucas.com and in your region. We have included additional notes on the slides for your reference – please edit the slides where appropriate and based on the needs of your school or college.
Continuing Professional Development
As part of the pilot you can now access the new CPD training course on apprenticeships, developed specifically for teachers and advisers by UCAS experts. The course aims to develop your knowledge of apprenticeships and increase your confidence in supporting students applying to a vacancy. Once you complete the training you will be provided with key takeaways that you can also share with your staff.
To access the training 
please follow these instructions (296.47 KB).
Additional resources
If you or your colleagues would like further information on the pilot, please use the resources below:
Early Connect slide deck (32.69 MB)– a step-by-step guide- UCAS/DfE letter (258 KB) – to share with your Senior Leadership Team
- Early Connect information leaflet (269.98 KB)
- Watch a playback of the Early Connect webinar: 20 September 2023*
* If you would like to make the most of this opportunity and are not already signed up to be part of the pilot, sign up as soon as possible to access the exclusive resources for your region.