You may have heard your friends, teachers or careers advisers talk about apprenticeships.
Working and getting paid while gaining a professional qualification sounds tempting, right? So how do you get an apprenticeship, and what do you need to consider before you apply for one? Our experts are here to give you the lowdown!
In this short film, our experts explain the pros and cons of doing an apprenticeship.
"A wide range of businesses offer apprenticeships. Whether you're interested in something like hairdressing or construction, or even going into business, working in the city, there is a wide range of employment opportunities if you're interested in doing an apprenticeship."
"It's not just the traditional sense of looking at adverts on the internet or in newspapers. A lot of it is through word of mouth, so we always encourage students to get a good basis of networks through things like work experience or speaking to local employers."
"When you have the opportunity over Easter, summer breaks, going forward, maybe part-time jobs, go out and experience the working world, go and speak to people. And remember that any experience that you have will increase your commercial awareness of that sector, it will help you understand how you respond to certain environments, and it'll be the best way possible to help you understand where you will take your future."
"There are hundreds and hundreds of applicants out there for one job and it's about marketing yourself, making yourself the best candidate you can be, but to keep applying for lots and lots of different ones."
"Very importantly, what employers are looking for is the ability for you to be able to communicate effectively, to be able to work in a team but equally to be able to work independently, to be able to do project work and to be able to use the basic English and maths skills. Those are the important skills that employers are looking for and those are often the skills that are referred to as soft skills. They're not necessarily the core of the subject that you're taking but they will be very important when you go into employment."
"If you're considering an apprenticeship, it's important to take that decision very, very seriously because you will be out into the workplace, a professional environment, so you'll need to display the skills that are demanded of you. The advantage is of course being paid, which is great, and gaining qualifications that do give you choices later on can be very, very tempting, but do consider the fact that you are aligning yourself to a particular career so you might be limiting your choice later on in some ways. But it's also okay to be like that if you're 100% sure about what you want to do. Something like an apprenticeship can be a fantastic option."
Is an apprenticeship right for you?
- A wide range of businesses offer apprenticeships, from hair salons to digital agencies
- The web is a good place to start researching the right apprenticeship for you
- But not all are advertised, so it’s important to have a good network. Doing work experience and talking to people in local businesses are great ways of finding out about opportunities
- Much like applying for a job, getting an apprenticeship can be quite competitive, so take the application process seriously to increase your chance of succeeding
- If you get turned down, don’t panic and keep applying! Ask for feedback so you know how to improve your applications
- As well as your qualifications and previous experience, so-called ‘soft skills’ are also very important to employers. Example of soft skills include: communication skills, being able to work in a team and independently, the ability to do project work. Basic English and Maths skills are important too.
- As well as giving you on-the-job experience and a wage, an apprenticeship will increase your awareness of the work environment and of the field you work in
- But be aware that you are aligning yourself to a particular career, which could limit your options later on
- Take the decision to do an apprenticeship seriously: you’ll be in a working environment, and will be expected to work and behave to certain standards.
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