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National Apprenticeship Week 6th - 12th February
5 reasons you should kickstart your career with an apprenticeship
National Apprenticeship Week is coming up from 6th - 12th February!
Chances are you're starting to think about what you might like to do after you leave school or college. Did you know that an apprenticeship could be your ticket to a high-skilled job straight out of education? And what's more, you'll get paid a wage and gain qualifications without having to take on any student debt.
Here are Success at School's top 5 reasons to apply for an apprenticeship:
1. You'll get paid a wage
Apprenticeships are now a gateway into jobs which require higher-level qualifications such as foundation degrees, bachelor's degrees and even master's degrees. You could train as an engineer, a software developer, a solicitor, a nurse - there are even apprenticeships in academia!
Have a look at the Success at School guide to the qualifications you can gain from an apprenticeship.
2. You'll train in a high-skilled job
There is a minimum wage for apprentices, called the apprenticeship wage. This year, it is set at £4.81. It goes up in stages until you get to the age of 23, when it reaches £9.50, so long as you have completed the first year of your apprenticeship. The apprenticeship wage is increased every year. Remember this is the minimum - in practice, many apprentices earn much more.
Read more on Success at School site.
3. You could get a university degree
If you complete a degree apprenticeship, you will gain a university degree. But unlike with the traditional university journey, you won't graduate with thousands of pounds of tuition fee debt because your employer will pay the costs for you.
Success at School guide to degree apprenticeships has the low-down.
4. You'll learn on the job
As an apprentice, you will gain the knowledge and skills for your role on the job. You'll spend most of your time in the office, lab, factory or field, where you will be trained up by experienced colleagues. Depending on your apprenticeship level, you will also study with a training provider, in college or at university, working towards a qualification which will support you in your day-to-day job.
Read about the four different types of apprenticeships.
5. You could work in the industries of the future
Research suggests that technology skills, social and emotional skills and cognitive skills are set to grow the fastest over the next decade (see our guide to the future of work). Apprenticeships offer you a way into the most employable industries, from tech and engineering to social care and the creative sector.
Take a look at the Success at School guide to 7 apprenticeships you never knew you could do.
Still undecided? Check out the guides below for more answers to your questions. And you don't need to choose right away! You could apply for university courses AND apprenticeship programmes to keep your options open.
We've got tonnes of apprenticeships from big employers on the Success at School website, check them out today and get applying:
For more helpful information regarding National Apprenticeship Week, including helpful guides for parents and carers, please see the Employability section.