If you’re not sure a degree is for you but want to keep learning and gaining new skills, an Apprenticeship might be the thing for you. You even get paid while you learn. Find out more here…
Not a fan of plumbing? No, us neither. In fact, we’re fairly sure our attempt to fix a leaky kitchen sink directly contributed to this summer’s flooding all over the country. Stupid monkey wrench.
Why are we talking about plumbing? Well, a lot of people think that an Apprenticeship is just what you do if you want to be a plumber. Not so. It’s certainly one path – and a ridiculously well paid one, too – but there are plenty of other paths, and they all offer
different challenges and opportunities.
Photography, accounting, childcare, engineering, games-testing*…there are well over 100 Apprenticeship programmes to choose from, in pretty much every industry sector you can imagine. Want to bake beautiful bread? Bakery Apprenticeship for you, then. Fancy getting airborne? A Cabin Crew Apprenticeship will soon sort that out. You get the idea. Whatever you want to do, an Apprenticeship can give you the skills to pay the bills. (That’s what you get for listening to the Beastie Boys in the office. Sorry.)
But what is an Apprenticeship? Weren’t they started by Alan Sugar?
TV has a lot to answer for – Apprenticeships aren’t about running round an East London market for the day, arguing theatrically with your colleagues, then returning home to a barrage of sarcasm from a man who looks like a crumpled teddy bear.
They’re a package of qualifications: a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), which covers the practical side of the course; a technical certificate, which involves written exams and theory work; key skills (things like communication, number skills and IT); and Employment Rights and Responsibilities, which is knowledge about the industry you’re working in, important rules and regulations, and so on.
The final qualification you get depends on what NVQ level you take – an Apprenticeship at NVQ Level 2 is equivalent to five GCSEs, but an NVQ Level 4 gives you a qualification equivalent to a degree.
And because apprentices spend most of the time in a working environment, they get paid while they study.
Paid, eh?
Thought that might have got your attention. Yes, apprentices are taken on by an employer and paid while they study. (You study at a college or other institution, which will be working closely with your employer.) The money varies – most of the time it’s up to you to negotiate wages and holidays, so it’s good to do a bit of background research. You don’t want to sell yourself short, after all.
But what can I do with one when I’m finished? Do employers really care about Apprenticeships?
Would we send you down a path that leaves you lying unemployed in a gutter? No. Employers love Apprenticeships – they get someone with practical skills and knowledge, experience in the workplace, and proven commitment to the profession. There’s always talk of a ‘skills gap’ in the UK, which employers are keen to fill – and Apprenticeships are a great way of doing that.
And if I’m not ready to leave education?
No one’s going to thrust you into the working world if you’re not ready. An Apprenticeship is a really good basis for a diploma or degree. Some employers even let apprentices work part-time so that they can complete other higher education courses.
I don’t think there’s anything else to ask… Then our work is done. <Nods knowingly and retreats into the night>
Apprenticeships: the benefits
• You’ll gain practical experience and skills in your chosen job
• You’ll get paid as you study
• You’ll get paid holidays
• You study at your own pace. Most Apprenticeships take a set amount of hours – anything from 100 to 1,000 – but the amount of time it takes overall is flexible
• Apprenticeships give you a feel for the job market. You’ll find out what a career in your chosen field is like and what opportunities are available
What the employers say…
‘An Apprenticeship does not mean that you stop your education. In fact, up to 10% of our apprentices go on to do degrees – you can just keep going. The beauty of an Apprenticeship is that you gain both academic and practical skills. And, of course, it also means that you don’t have to worry about student debts and education costs.
‘The company gets the benefit of taking young people who have a good educational standard, but have never been in a working environment. Increasingly, the apprentice becomes very productive. They contribute to the wealth of the company and add value.
‘In the 1960s, I had the choice to either go the London School of Economics or take an Apprenticeship with the company that later became BAE Systems. I chose the latter and I’ve never regretted it. It worked for me and there’s no reason why it can’t work for others – it’s the best of both worlds.’
Mike Turner, CBE – Chief Executive Officer, BAE Systems
GET TO WORK!
If you’re interested in taking an Apprenticeship, the next step is to find a course in your area. Call 08000 150 600 for more information. You or your school can also purchase
copies of The Apprenticeship Guide (£24.99+P&P) by emailing jonathan@apprenticeshipguide.co.uk.
HELPFUL THINGS
For a full list of current Apprenticeship programmes, visit www.apprenticeships. org.uk, or seek out a copy of The Apprenticeship Guide in your careers library. It’s been lovingly made by us, in between issues of etc., and has all the info you could ever need on Apprenticeships. And some interesting facts about tulips.
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