There are many benefits associated with undertaking an apprenticeship, which notably includes gaining significant real life experience while gaining a qualification. Combining paid work with training, apprenticeships can provide an excellent way to learn about a profession, and can allow those aged over 16 to explore different pathways from a traditional education or a purely vocational route. By checking out different options for apprenticeship courses, and by working with training providers , it’s possible to convert an apprenticeship into a stable job.
An apprenticeship is an option available to those over 16 in the UK that aren’t in full time education; courses can run from one to four years, and combine theory and practice through a paid job and regular courses. Apprentices gain on the job experience and develop their skills while learning about the background and best practices of an industry; qualifications are measured by NVQ and QCF frameworks, and typically include basic literacy and numeracy tests.
Some of the main benefits of completing an apprenticeship include having the chance to earn a salary while training; businesses can similarly benefit from being able to deliver funded courses, and can use apprenticeships as a way of engaging with their local community. Apprenticeships are also broad enough to include everything from agriculture to arts and the media, business, and law, and range from intermediate through to advanced levels.
The long term goal of an apprenticeship is to equip people to build an ongoing career within a particular job, while also gaining skills that they can apply to other jobs. NVQ and QCF qualifications work here as nationally recognised qualifications that can include many transferable skills in terms of time management, customer service, and application of theories to a work environment.
An apprenticeship can enable someone to develop practical experience and skills that they wouldn’t necessarily get from just working in the classroom; becoming involved in an apprenticeship similarly means that you can become familiar with working as part of teams, and having to juggle a range of different tasks within and outside the workplace. Opportunities are also available to progress through different apprenticeship stages to gain higher qualifications and foundation degrees.
In this context, apprenticeships represent a great way to get into a career while still gaining qualifications. Depending on what kind of pathway you want to take, you can opt to start at a lower or more advanced level, with the latter being a good idea if you already have other qualifications and have ambitions to gain a managerial position in the future. Regular training courses and careers fairs can be used to learn more about opportunities for apprenticeships in different parts of the country.
Author Bio
RS has been following trends for apprenticeships and post-16 education for the past few years. To learn more about apprenticeships and training opportunities in your area, she recommends consulting with Anne Clarke Associates Ltd. In the past, she has blogged about how to prepare for exams and job applications.
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