Received your GCSE or A Level results and not sure of your next steps? Maybe you’re not sure if college or university is the right path for you? If you’ve got a good idea of where you want to go with your career and like the idea of earning while you learn, an Apprenticeship could be for you. Read on to find out why it’s a path worth considering.
What is an Apprenticeship?
An Apprenticeship is a work-based learning programme that enables you to learn on the job, achieve nationally-recognised qualifications, develop your skills, earn a wage and build a rewarding career.
Apprenticeships offer a hands-on alternative to the continual demands of essays, exams and studying that university entails. So what can you expect instead? There are no classrooms or homework; you learn working on the job with help and support with Essential Skills in English and Maths if needed. At university, you can choose from a wide variety of degrees, but you can be an apprentice is almost any sector too. For example, did you know you can do an Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing or Data Analytics? You might have thought that Apprenticeships are only for manual trades such as electricians and plumbers but this is not the case! A wealth of professions offer Apprenticeship opportunities: Accounting, IT, Customer Service and many more! ALS actually offer Apprenticeships in over 30 sectors so we most likely have something to appeal to you.
What are the benefits of an Apprenticeship?
1. Earn a wage whilst training for a career
An Apprenticeship enables you to earn a wage whilst gaining hands-on experience in a specific sector, giving you the opportunity to apply what you are learning immediately to a work environment. It’s the best work experience you can get! On the other hand, most university courses are theory-based, only directing you towards the more practical world of work after graduation. The work experience and skills you gain with an Apprenticeship will stand you in very good stead when job seeking – relevant experience and job-specific skills are what employers are looking for Ninety percent of Apprentices stay in employment after finishing their Apprenticeship.
Currently, the minimum Apprenticeship wage is £3.90/hour but lots of companies pay a higher wage than this.
2. No debt!
For many individuals, the prospect of racking up tens of thousands of pounds of debt can be a crucial factor when deciding whether to go to university or pursue alternative options like Apprenticeships. However, Welsh Government funding means that you, and your employer, don’t have to pay a penny for your Apprenticeship training. This means that the money you earn is yours, you’re still working towards a qualification, and you won’t be paying a student loan off for the next thirty years!
3. You can start at any time
You can start an Apprenticeship at any time throughout the year – you don’t have to wait until September to start like college or university. Also, a standard university degree takes three years to complete, yet an Apprenticeship can take as little as 12 months to accomplish.
How to get an Apprenticeship
There are different routes into an Apprenticeship. If you currently have a job and want to develop your skills and work your way up the career ladder then great, we can work with you and your employer to help you complete an Apprenticeship. You could gain promotions in your job as a result.
On the other hand, if you think an Apprenticeship could be the right move for you, what are you waiting for? We have an established network of employers looking for keen, motivated people like you. Apply now.
