As the world of work continues to evolve, there is growing demand for skilled and experienced professionals. But what if you decide that University or College isn’t for you? How will you be able to learn a skill or profession without them? Well there are other ways of doing it which may suit you better. Ever considered being an apprentice?
Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes which provide you with the opportunity to learn on the job and earn money whilst working towards a nationally recognised qualification and unlike college or university, an apprenticeship is designed around the needs of employers.
Many people think, apprenticeships are just for those people looking to work as a plumber or Electrician, when in fact there is an abundance of schemes available covering pretty much every industry sector you can imagine. There are over 100,000 Employers in the UK currently taking on apprentices.
Earn and Learn
Unlike university where you could be confronted by a weighty bill at the end of your studies, apprenticeship schemes pay you while you work and you don’t even have to pay your course back once you have completed it.
Employers will often pay their apprentices more than minimum wage, an average salary being around £170 per week. Your apprenticeship could take anywhere between one and four years to complete depending on the level of the Apprenticeship. In many of the schemes, wages will rise throughout your service, normally every year or based on your individual ability and the industry sector in which you’ll be working.
All apprentices are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week with most of your week spent in employment, as the majority of the training will take place on the job. The rest of your study and training will usually take place at college, where you will be expected to attend just 1 day each week. As for the cost of your training, that is fully funded by the Government.
So as you can see, there is often more than meets the eye when it comes to apprenticeship schemes and the barriers to entry and virtually none-existent. With one in five UK employers taking on apprentices – 80% of whom say that they make their workplace more productive as a result – and this number expected to rise thanks to a number of recent Government initiatives, the opportunities for you will only increase.