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This year is the 17th annual celebration of apprenticeships. It is a week that business and apprentices come together to celebrate and promote the impact that apprenticeships make to everyone. This year’s theme is “Skills for Life”. Apprenticeships allow you to develop skills that you can carry through with you into a rewarding career!
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a type of educational programme that joins practical training with classroom learning. There is usually an 80/20 split, with 80% of the time being spent working alongside experienced professionals and 20% of the time being spent learning. This is a paid opportunity which means you will receive a contract of employment as well as annual leave.
To qualify for an apprenticeship, you must be 16 or older and not in full time education and live in the UK.
Benefits
Hands on Experience
Working as an apprentice allows you to gain hands on experience alongside experienced professionals, meaning you will not only get to learn from the best, you can get a feel for the job in general and decide whether the work environment, hours and expectations are suited to you.
Benefit from support
Apprenticeships allow you the opportunity to improve essential skills around skilled professionals. It allows you to ask the important questions or to improve a particular skill by discussing with your employer or supervisor. It is likely that most people will be eager and happy to help you.
Paid Opportunity
One of the most important things about apprenticeships is that you are paid and employed during this time. This means that alongside studying, you’re able to support home commitments and worry less about the costs of day to day life. If you’re 19+, you are entitled to minimum wage after the first year in the apprenticeship. If you’re 16-18, you are entitled to an apprentice rate. This is only the minimum requirement from employers, many will offer more than this. These positions are funded by contributions made from the government and employer, so you will leave your study with no tuition or student loan fees. If you’re 16 – 24 and a care leaver, you may also be entitled to a £1000 bursary. You can also benefit from student discounts during your time studying and working.
Gain qualifications
A big advantage of apprenticeships is that you can often gain industry recognised qualifications while completing the programme, such as BTECs or NVQs. This means that once you finish the programme, you have improved employability. With so much experience as well as qualifications under your belt, employers are much more likely to hire you and your CV will stand out from the rest.
Choice
There are so many choices when it comes to apprenticeships. A few examples are, but aren’t limited to:
Media Apprenticeships
Banking Apprenticeships
Business Apprenticeships
IT Apprenticeships
Marketing Apprenticeships
Accounting Apprenticeships
Check out the NAW website for more info on where and what you can find:https://naw.appawards.co.uk/