If you’re looking to journey into the wide and wonderful
world of work, then you might have considered several different routes. You
might have considered a range of colleges and universities, where you’ll be
able to pick up the skills and knowledge that’ll equip you for a career in your
chosen field. Another option comes in the form of an apprenticeship.
Through an apprenticeship, you can start the job
immediately, learning as you go from a qualified mentor. You’ll pick up
experience quickly and form an understanding of whether you actually enjoy the
work that you’ve set out to do.
What is an apprenticeship?
Let’s run through a definition. An apprentice, according
to government guidance, is anyone who’s over 16 who combines work with
studying in order to progress in a specific job. They’re entitled to a minimum
wage (albeit one that’s lower than the one for qualified employees), and
they’ll need to work with experienced staff, learning job-specific skills.
Apprentices are also entitled to spend a portion of their
working hours in study. Normally, this means 20% of normal working hours, or a
single day out of a working week, which you might spend in college.
What do actual professionals say?
You might think of an apprenticeship as something that’s
suited to vocational, practical professions, rather than white-collar, academic
ones. Blacksmiths and mechanics have apprentices; scientists and lawyers have
assistants.
The
National Accident Helpline’s Learning and Development Manager, Samantha
Warner, dispelled this view during a Twitter Q&A in support of National
Apprenticeship Week. Alongside the company’s HR Business Partner, Danny
Kavanagh, she said: “Offering apprenticeships has been great for us, as it’s
inspired our apprentices to learn new skills, and some have been promoted
during the course of their studies. People taking on an apprenticeship are
making a commitment to learn and it shows ambition, which we welcome in our
team.”
Why consider an apprenticeship
The apprenticeship appeals for a few different reasons.
To begin with, you won’t have to contend with tuition fees
for the rest of your life. While tuition fees aren’t a real debt, as you don’t
have to pay them back until you earn a certain amount, they’re still a
significant mental burden which you won’t have to contend with. Your employer
will make an investment in you instead.
You’re not committing to a single workplace, either; your CV
will be strengthened, and you’ll be put in touch with industry contacts who’ll
be provide you with a basis for a future career.
At the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll emerge with one of
three kinds of vocational qualifications. Intermediate, advanced, and higher
apprenticeships come in the form of NVQs, and they’re recognised across the
country.
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