For years on end the same education path has been engrained into every school & college in the country despite there being over 170 different industries that offer apprenticeships.
With my apprenticeship sadly coming to and end it’s strange to think I was almost discouraged to even begin my journey as an apprentice by people in college who were shocked and couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to university. Little did I know that I would be exposed to an array of technology I couldn’t imagine ever using, visit countries and events all provided by my company and a course that helped me understand the depths of the digital marketing world I never knew existed.
Don’t just take my word for it, I recently created a survey where I asked apprentices who had completed or are in the middle of their courses multiple questions covering work life, comparison to university & general benefits. When analysing the data I received it was clear to see where apprenticeships excelled, 100% of the surveyors put that their course helped them learn valuable skills and tools additionally ones that they could specifically use in their roles. I was thrilled to see this response as I always remember questioning “where am I going to use this in the real world” back in school, however it is clear to see the courses we offer at apprenticeship network are tailored and a productive use of time.
With all these amazing things in mind I do have to highlight the responsibility & independence required to succeed in an apprenticeship, the balance of a job as well as a course may be completely new to some of you. However don’t let this discourage you, your time and effort will not go unnoticed. In an article by ‘Personnel Today’ it greatly highlighted that “Half (49%) of employers said they would prefer to see experience from a relevant apprenticeship or previous position on a candidate’s CV, compared to only 24% who would prefer a relevant degree”. The mixture of learning on and off of the job Is extremely beneficial as it demonstrates how to learn in theoretically and then allows you put the knowledge to the test in practical environments.
To conclude on apprenticeships I hope I highlighted the many great experiences people have had with them and how ever-changing the workplace is becoming with experience and qualifications becoming focused on by employees. My aim by the end of this article was to unbiasedly express how under-looked this amazing scheme is and how you can create the hands on practical experience you desire by simply choosing your own path.
It would give me great pleasure in answering any queries, giving further advice & providing the endless places to find wonderful apprenticeships at the click of a button. Feel free to reach out at [email protected]
About the author
Tom Harvey is a Marketing operations apprentice at Acquia. He is soon to finish his digital marketing level 3 apprenticeships and as a result has been awarded a full time position as a marketing operations specialist.
