The end date for Year 11s is rapidly approaching, leaving many students with the burning question – what should I do after leaving school? Many are told that college is the best option and this is coupled with college visits that take place during the last year in high school. It may be difficult to see that there are other options available, one of them being an apprenticeship.
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship offers practical training within a real job role. During the apprenticeship, learners will be involved in off-the-job training through live webinars and/or classroom training. This training will take up 20% of the duration of the programme.
Apprentices will be guided throughout the programme, with lessons from industry experts and guidance from a designated Skills Coach. This will aid the learner in achieving the best experience possible.
Why is it a great ‘Next Step’?
Earning a wage
This is always mentioned as one of the main advantages of participating in an apprenticeship.
Apprentices get paid to learn valuable experience, which is not an option at college. In fact, many college students find themselves working in their spare time to make money, adding a lot of pressure that can negatively impact their work. Instead of juggling the two, why not consider combatting them at the same time – gaining your qualification whilst you earn a wage?
The Potential for quick career progression
As you are working in a real situation that relates to your apprenticeship, you are already gaining beneficial work experience that employers look for when hiring a new team member.
In the 2016 Employer Perspective Survey, it was found that “work experience is an important facilitator for young people entering, and succeeding, in the workplace; around two-thirds (65%) of employers reported that relevant work experience was a critical or significant factor when taking on (any aged) recruit”.
Not only will you be learning about your new career choice, you will understand and develop your soft skills so that you are ready for the new work environment. This includes your confidence, working as a team and problem-solving. Most employers will look for these soft skills when searching for job candidates.
Educational Progression
Many people may want to attend college and then go on to achieve higher qualifications such as a degree. A misconception of apprenticeships is that they are limited to the levels of qualifications a person can achieve. The majority of people completing one do a level 2 or 3 apprenticeship.
Did you know that you can achieve a degree level qualification through an apprenticeship? There were over 1,670 degree level apprenticeship starts in 2016 to 2017, including foundation degrees, HNDs and full honours degrees. These include job roles ranging from legal services to banking and engineering.
Great satisfactory rate
Overall, apprenticeships have a high satisfaction rate in the UK. 9 out of 10 (89%) of apprentices report being satisfied with their apprenticeship. This rate is 9% higher than the satisfactory rate of college students, which is 80%. Additionally, 97% of apprentices said the ability to do their job improved.
Functional Skills
If you did not achieve the grade you wanted in Maths and English, do not worry. The B2W Group offer additional training in functional skills. This allows you to gain the qualifications before progressing further into your career.
Still unsure?
If you are still unsure about what you want to do after leaving school, contact the team at The B2W Group. We can answer any questions you may have about completing an apprenticeship. Contact us here.
