Extras
There are a range of benefits and extras available to you as a JGA apprentice. You can access perks and discounts, mainly via TOTUM Apprentice membership and attend our webinar series designed exclusively to complement your apprenticeship. This includes storytelling and presentation skills, AI and how to look professional, act impressively and understand what makes both yourself and your colleagues tick.
Select a topic:
JGA Charity of the Year
As we did last year, we asked our learners to submit pitches in support of their favourite charity to receive a donation from JGA.
Every charity which was pitched will receive at least a £100 donation and overall initial donations will total over £6,000.
After a very hard time deciding, Liverpool School Sports Partnership has become the JGA Charity for 2025!
Perks and Discounts
Whilst we don’t recommend undertaking an apprenticeship just for the perks, for many people they are well worth having!
Post-Apprenticeship Recognition Scheme (PARS)
PARS is an awards scheme for those who have completed an apprenticeship in the UK. It’s brought to you by the Association of Apprentices and the Chartered Institution for Further Education to recognise the unique educational route offered by apprenticeships.
For the first time, completed apprentices will be able to use post-nominals letters. The application fee varies depending on the apprenticeship level completed, starting at £40.
To find out more, visit https://associationofapprentices.org.uk/pars
Discounts
Apprentices are entitled to TOTUM Apprentice membership which gives you access to over 400 discounts, deals and offers on big-name brands both online and in store, giving you big savings on eating out, tech, fashion, travel and more!
To find out more, visit https://app.totum.com/register/join.
Council tax
Council tax may be reduced by 25% or even 50% for households which include an apprentice who earns less than £195/week.
Further details appear on www.gov.uk/council-tax/who-has-to-pay.
London Transport
If you live in a London Borough, are in the first 12 months of your apprenticeship and are aged over 18, you are entitled to an Apprentice Oyster Photocard which will give you a 30% discount on adult rate travel cards and bus and tram pass season tickets.
You may also be eligible for a 34% discount on pay as you go off-peak fares and daily caps by adding a 16-25 Railcard to your Apprentice Oyster photocard to travel on the Tube, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London.
To apply you need to know your Unique Learner Number and the UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN) which is 10006710.
Further information is on TfL’s website: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/apprentice-oyster-photocard
Other regions of England also offer travel discounts to apprentices, so be sure to check.
Development Webinars & Events
We’re delighted to give you access to three exclusive webinar series packed with practical tips to complement your apprenticeship. Each series consists of four live, one-hour sessions. They are not recorded but the sessions are repeated. You are welcome to invite your line manager or close colleagues to join.
We also hold in-person events for apprentices and alumni throughout the year. These are a great opportunity to meet and connect with peers, JGA staff and alumni, so keep your eyes open for the next one!
Storytelling and Presentation Skills
Join ex-Accenture storytelling expert Hari Patience-Davies of 13 Times for a four part series designed to help improve your verbal communication skills and offers lots of practical advice and tips. You can find out more about 13 Times on their website.
Personal and Professional Development
Join Liz Batalla, Executive Director of the Institute of Achievement & Excellence to learn how to look professional, act impressively and better understand what makes both yourself and your colleagues tick. Liz also has a YouTube channel full of tips and advice.
Everything AI
Heather Murray, Founder of AI for Non-Techies, will help you better understand the potential, the uses and the limits of artificial intelligence technology. You can find out more about Heather and AI for Non-Techies on her website.
Upcoming Events
All webinars start at 4.30pm and last for one hour.
Mon 14 July – Great Analogies and Successful Explanations – Discover how to craft a good analogy and a neat template for expressing a project or team vision. Storytelling Part 1 with Hari.
Mon 21 July – Building Workplace Relationships to Advance Your Career – Unspoken rules, dealing with challenging colleagues and managers. Personal Development Part 1 with Liz.
Tues 29 July – Introduction to Generative AI – Understand, in simple terms, exactly what is going on with Generative AI and how it can help you and your business optimise, innovate and grow. AI Part 1 with Heather.
Mon 8 Sept – Effective Presentation Planning – Templates, tools and techniques work for speeches, pitches and presentation. Storytelling Part 2 with Hari.
Mon 15 Sept – Crafting Your Image For Career Success – Decoding the Professional Dress Code, Meeting Etiquette (general and virtual) and Mastering The Social Scene (your social media persona). Personal Development Part 2 with Liz.
Tues 23 Sept – Prompt Engineering for Beginners – The difference between good and bad prompts; the 3C prompt framework; a few more advanced prompting techniques. AI Part 2 with Heather.
Mon 13 Oct – Amazing Presentation and Pitch Delivery – Using your voice, body language and eye contact, performing in person versus virtually, overcoming stage fright. Storytelling Part 3 with Hari.
Mon 20 Oct – From Stress to Smiles: Harnessing the 6S’s For Career Fulfilment – Learn to feel better about your professional and personal lives. Personal Development Part 3 with Liz.
Tues 4 Nov – Personal Productivity with AI – How the small, simple tools can make a big, game-changing difference. AI Part 3 with Heather.
Mon 10 Nov – Mastering Meetings: Active Listening and Note Taking Skills – Listen better, target the needs of your audience, practical and emotional objectives, how to read the room, engaging an audience through storytelling-based techniques. Storytelling Part 4 with Hari.
Mon 17 Nov – Life-Altering Habits for Aspiring Managers – Learn habits & routines to optimise success & productivity, establish heart-mind connections and the importance of setting healthy workplace boundaries. Personal Development Part 4 with Liz.
Tues 25 Nov – Creating Killer Content with AI – Why AI-generated content is so poor – and what to do about it, creating written content, images and videos that feel human. AI Part 4 with Heather.