Now that the school and college year is over and exams have been completed, you may be asking yourself, what next? You may have heard of apprenticeships but not know much about them. We have answered commonly asked questions surrounding apprenticeships so you can get a better understanding of what they are.
What is an Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship provides the learner with a full-time job in which they can gain real experience as well as training to prepare them for their future in their chosen career. You will be surrounded by experienced people within your field and gain a qualification at the end.
What apprenticeships are available?
There are many apprenticeships available, such as in law, customer service, IT, and Digital Marketing. The B2W Group specialise in the Level 3 Digital Marketer Apprenticeship in the North West and South Yorkshire areas.
What will I learn on the digital marketer apprenticeship?
The primary role of a Digital Marketer is to define, design, build and implement digital campaigns across a variety of online and social media platforms to drive customer acquisition, customer engagement and customer retention. To achieve this, a Digital Marketer will typically be working as part of a team in which they will have responsibility for some of the straightforward elements of the overall marketing plan or campaign.
During the apprenticeship, you will learn about marketing principles, digital marketing business principles, and site development associate. You can find out more here.
Will I get a future out of an apprenticeship?
Employers value apprenticeships because unlike University, you are gaining the relevant experience whilst you complete an apprenticeship. In fact, 90% of apprentices will get a job or go into further training after finishing an apprenticeship (Learners and Apprentices Survey 2018 report).
Is going to University better than doing an apprenticeship?
This all depends on your career path and your preference. University will focus on the knowledge aspect of the subject, whereas an apprenticeship will allow you to do practical tasks and apply your new-found knowledge in your every-day role.
At university, you will spend more time in a classroom environment and courses will typically last for 3 years. An apprenticeship is usually around 12-18 months and you will typically spend around 20% of your apprenticeship within a learning environment.
You can also do an apprenticeship that is degree-level once you are high enough level.
Will I get paid to do an apprenticeship?
Yes, you will be paid whilst completing your apprenticeship. The minimum wage increases yearly and is currently at £3.90 per hour. Although, many employers may choose to pay more than this. Apprentices should work for a minimum of 30 hours per week and a maximum of 40, which means you will be paid as a full-time employee.
How long does an apprenticeship last?
An apprenticeship usually lasts around 12-18 months, but this depends on the area and level of the apprenticeship you are studying. Our Digital Marketer Apprenticeship lasts 18-months.
Are there exams during the apprenticeship?
After the new apprenticeship standards were introduced, some apprenticeships require you to undertake exams under exam conditions which wouldn’t have been required to previously. In the Digital Marketer Apprenticeship, these are multi-choice question exams and you will complete 3 throughout the apprenticeship. You will be prepared for the exams by our specialist Digital Marketer Tutors.
Will I be paid whilst doing the off-the-job training?
Yes, the training will be during working hours. You will be doing activities that contribute towards your 20% off-job-training and your employer will be expected to plan time out of your every-day tasks to complete your off-the-job training.
You will also be paid for the days you are in our training centres and will not need to book time out of work to do these. Your employer will allow you to be out of the office and in our classrooms.
Can anyone do an apprenticeship?
Yes, apprenticeships are available to everyone as long as they meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Lived in the UK or EEA for the past 3 years
- Spend at least 50% of their working hours in England
- Working at least 30 hours per week
- Not currently undertaking another apprenticeship or funded qualification
- Achieve level 2 functional skills or GCSE grade A* to C (or 9 to 4) in English and maths
If you want to know more about our apprenticeship programme, you can visit here.
If you want to see our live vacancies, you can view more and apply here.
