To mark National Apprenticeship Week, we've thought long and hard about some of the reasons we think apprenticeships are a brilliant option for people who want to learn new skills (or enhance existing ones) to help them progress in their careers.
Here are our top five reasons to love apprenticeships:
Nothing beats earning while you're learning
Imagine turning up to work every day at a job you love, having time off (paid) to train, working with a mentor who knows your industry inside out, gaining a nationally-recognised qualification, building your reputation in the business and packing your CV with relevant skills and experience for the future - all while getting paid. Sounds great to us!
Everybody wins
Apprentices get all of the benefits above, but employers get fresh ideas, energy, enthusiasm, a grow-your-own workforce that knows and values their business and development for experienced staff who can be involved supporting apprentices. No-one loses!
There are lots to choose from
Apprentices and employers can work together to choose from different types of apprenticeships to make sure that the training is right for their job and their business. A quick search for business apprenticeships or bricklaying apprenticeships for example, will quickly show you how broad the types of apprenticeships are and how you choose one that's a perfect fit!
They're getting better all the time
Apprenticeships are a well-established form of work and training, but recently the whole system has been reviewed to make sure that they stay relevant to the needs of employers, and equip apprentices with the knowledge, skills and experience that will make them a must-hire candidate. These changes mean that apprenticeships remain highly-regarded by employers and apprentices alike.
They're for everyone
Yes, you could sit and search for 'Apprenticeships for girls', 'Apprenticeships for adults' or any other variation you like, but the reality is that apprenticeships are for everyone. Historically it's true that they've probably been more associated with young people or for a particular type of job, but these days that's all changed. More and more employers are using apprenticeships as a way to train existing staff members at various stages of their careers because they recognise them as a great way to develop skills and talent in their workforce.
So we're pretty clear that we love apprenticeships. If you want to talk to us about that, or have any other questions about how apprenticeships work,
