In this blog I’ll be going over some of the benefits of an Apprenticeship and why you should apply to one. I’ll cover areas from searching for the best one, to the ‘day-in-the life’ of a current Apprentice. Explore more of this blog if you are thinking on applying.
What is an Apprenticeship?
An Apprenticeship is where the employee has a paid job but is also learning and gaining skills specific to their role. For example, you will need to learn your role and industry for one day between the working week (Monday to Friday). At the end of the apprenticeship program, you could have the opportunity to remain with the company. You can find more from the government website here.
Apprenticeships vary in different levels, for example; they could start from level 2 all the way to degree level.
What are the benefits?
Experience. You gain first hand experience in the role you apply for. You’ll also gain vital skills and knowledge which you may not learn from traditional learning, like college or university.
Skills. Similar to experience, you will gain skills which you can only get from doing the role. More complex skills will come with experience and you will be able to develop the skills over time.
Knowledge. You will gain knowledge from you apprenticeship provider as well as your colleagues and managers. Those who are more experienced than you will be able to share their knowledge with you.
Networking. As an apprentice working in a professional environment, you will be able to network with other professionals within your chosen field.
To find more about some perks of an Apprenticeship then go here.
How to find one best for you?
This process can be quite long as you want to find an apprenticeship which is not too far away from you, not too difficult for you and it’ll need to be something you’ll enjoy for a very long time.
If the vacancy is too far, how will you travel to the office? That is something you’ll need to consider and is very important. This is because you may need to travel everyday to and from the office, meaning it’ll need to be practical for you. If the apprenticeship is too difficult, there is a chance you may not be successful within the apprenticeship. Lastly, it is important for the apprenticeship to be something that you’ll enjoy because it may be your career for life. You’ll need to be determined and highly motivated to do your best at all times in the role you choose.
Day-in-the life of an Apprentice
As an apprentice, you will be responsible for a lot of things. At the beginning of the program, you may need to do a lot of learning to get an understanding of your role. You will need to ensure you are completing your work tasks as well as completing any coursework your apprenticeship provider sets you; you will have a coach who will set you relevant objectives.
As time goes on, you will be responsible for more and more, meaning your workload will begin to increase. This could become stressful if you also have a lot of ongoing objectives set by your coach. To avoid this, you will need to have a designated day to work on your coursework and objectives. As an apprentice, you will shadow your colleagues and learn from them. You will also need to adopt the skills your colleagues possess in order to be as efficient and effective as you can be.
