What do I get out of it?
There are lots of benefits to doing an Apprenticeship. You can earn while you learn, and learn in a way that is best suited to you – through hands-on experience on the job.
Earnings
Research shows that apprentices earn, on average, over £100,000 more throughout their lifetime than other employees. Your career doesn’t have to stop at the Advanced Apprenticeship, if you want to go on to University you will find many institutes of Higher Education value your skills and knowledge and will happily offer you a place on a Foundation Degree or other higher level qualifications.
Support during training
Your employer or training provider will make sure you have support. Their job is to ensure that your training fits your personal requirements, offers the skills needed for the job and satisfies national standards. They will also be there to help you through any difficult times.
Prospects
Apprenticeships can be demanding but they are very rewarding. Because Apprenticeships train you in the skills employers want, they give you choices in your career. When you’ve finished you can carry on working, maybe get promoted or go on to higher education in a college or university.
A choice of industries and employers
Apprenticeships have been developed by a wide range of industry sectors and are available with different types of employers from large national companies such as British Gas, BMW and Orange to smaller local companies.
There are now over 190 types of Apprenticeships across many sectors. The right one for you will depend on your interests, your experience and the opportunities in your area. However, all Apprenticeships include the following elements:
- An appropriate work-based qualification such as a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at either Level 2 or Level 3;
- Key Skills qualifications, e.g. working in teams, problem-solving, communication and using new technology;
- A technical qualification such as a BTEC or City & Guilds (relevant to the specific Apprenticeship);
- Other qualifications or requirements as specified by the particular occupation.
Last Updated: 11/06/2010