In the past the most common way to begin a career used to be getting a university degree. Undertaking it would mean 3-4 years of classroom-style lectures, 5 digit loan and no job guarantee. Don’t get me wrong, this is still the best route for some industries, nevertheless more and more college graduates started choosing an apprenticeship route instead. Currently there are over 150,000 employers offering apprenticeships in over 170 industries within the UK, and the numbers are increasing every year!
But first, what is an apprenticeship, and why could this be an important stepping stone for you?
What is an apprenticeship?
In short, apprenticeship is a full time job which includes additional learning. This means that you will receive training and qualifications within your chosen industry while you’re paid a salary as well! As a result, that at the end of your apprenticeship you will have a qualification, work experience and there won’t be any loans to pay. Sounds too good to be true? Let’s dive deeper.
Who can become an apprentice?
In order to qualify for an apprenticeship, you will need to meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 16 years old at the time of your enrolment
- Be a UK or EEA (European Economic Area citizen), or have lived in the UK or EEA for the past 3 consecutive years
- Not already be in full-time education
What are the pros & cons of being an apprentice?
Pros:
- Real-life work experience
- Develop skills within your chosen industry
- Get paid a salary
- No debt at the end of the program
- Qualification upon finishing the apprenticeship (in some cases you can get a diploma)
- Plenty of career opportunities upon finishing the program
- Many career paths to choose from
Cons:
- Limited career choice (some careers require a degree, such as medicine, engineering etc.)
- You start with a lower salary
- More responsibilities early on
- You might not get the university life experience
- Less holidays compared to university students
- Might take longer to get qualified
Is apprenticeship right for me?
Short answer – it depends.
Before deciding between an apprenticeship and university, first you need to consider which career path you want to pursue. As mentioned previously, some industries will require a university degree, meaning that an apprenticeship won’t cut it. On the other hand there’s plenty of industries that would happily take an apprentice on board.
Some of them include:
- Accounting
- Banking
- Business
- IT
- Marketing
- Media
- Hospitality
- Construction
- Telecom
- Healthcare
- Transport
- Energy
It’s also worth considering how you want to approach becoming qualified. Do you prefer getting paid a salary while you’re working towards your qualification, or you’d rather take your time to study and pay back a loan at the end of the program? Worth noting, that as an apprentice you will be working full-time while also having to study in your free time, meaning that you’ll be better equipped to move to your next role.
Furthermore, unlike a university degree, during which you will cover many subjects, some of which might be irrelevant to your dream role, while during an apprenticeship you will develop the skills that employers within your industry want! That means you’ll be laser focused on only relevant skills and knowledge, giving you an upper hand when looking for jobs.
Additionally you will start building your professional network early on, which might come in handy in the future. This is down to the fact that you will naturally meet lots of people across your business, allowing you to build professional relationships, opening more doors.
Lastly, there are different levels of apprenticeships to best suit you and your ambitions. Doing level 3 in any given field doesn mean that it ends there. You can always go higher! This can help to upskill you within your current role and provide you with more opportunities to progress.
Summary
Apprenticeship is a great way to jump-start your career, allowing you to gain qualifications, real-life work experience & build professional relationships early in your career, all while getting paid a salary. This could be an important (if not the most important) stepping stone in your career, allowing you to get your foot in the door and opening up many opportunities to come!
If you’re interested in becoming an apprentice, follow this link to find out more.
