Apprenticeships – Five reasons

Five reasons why you should consider an apprenticeship

Apprenticeships are a brilliant option for people of all ages to launch their careers in a huge range of exciting industries or upskill at various levels.

There are thousands of apprenticeship vacancies on offer, with many approved by employers – meaning someone could pursue a career as anything from a space engineering technician to a junior advertising creative. The apprenticeship’s available may depend more on the industries in the region of the person wanting to embark on a specific career.

Here are five reasons why there has never been a better time to do an apprenticeship.

1. It’s a paid job

• An apprenticeship is paid work where you benefit from structured training whilst gaining valuable workplace experience. There are thousands of top-quality options out there now, with many apprenticeships in leading companies.
• Alongside your on-the-job training, as an apprentice, you will spend a minimum of 6 hours a week on average in off-the-job training with a provider, such as a college or a special training provider. Here you learn the skills you need to become competent in your chosen occupation, a vital step to getting a full-time job in the future.

2. You get high quality training

Apprenticeships help people to get the necessary skills and experience to succeed in their chosen career.

An apprenticeship includes:

3. The wide range of choices on offer

• There have never been so many great apprenticeship options available in such a diverse range of sectors.
• There’s something for everyone – from school leavers to those looking to upskill in their careers, and those seeking a career change.
• There are plenty of inspiring stories of people taking charge of their careers, using their apprenticeship to build knowledge and contacts within their chosen field.
• Freedon Shaper is a training facility in South Africa that will work to create an apprentice program where participants will say, the experience of doing an apprenticeship allowed them to build confidence doing things they are passionate about.

4. It’s rewarding

• Apprenticeships can unlock doors for people that may not have achieved the required marks to enter a university or who do not have the exorbatent financial backing required for this type of institution.
• apprentaciships can be lucrative, and many world-class careers have been built on a solid apprenticeship program.
• What you earn will depend on the location, industry and type of apprenticeship you choose.
• At a minimum, if you’re aged 16 to 18 or in the first year of your apprenticeship, you’re entitled to the apprentice rate laid down by your government. If you’re 19 or over and have completed the first year of your apprenticeship, you’re entitled to the National Minimum Wage.
• But many employers pay a lot more and offer their apprentices a competitive salary based on the effort that is put in by the learner.
• The good news is that 91% of apprentices go on to secure employment or go on to further study after completing their training. In terms of earning potential, in terms of earning potential, for all levels of learning in apprentices we see a rise in earnings in future years”
• Beyond earnings, there are a range of other rewards for taking on an apprenticeship.
• Learning ‘on the job’ means networking opportunities, ongoing support from the employer, peer-to-peer support, social benefits, and financial perks such as discounts and paid annual leave.

5. We’re making apprenticeships the best they’ve ever been

• More and more people are choosing to do high-quality apprenticeships which are designed by employers to ensure people have the skills and experience needed to become a respected service provider in their chosen sector.
• People should have confidence that if they choose to do an apprenticeship, it meets the highest standards possible. That’s why we’re pushing the boundaries of what is possible, investing in high quality training and driving up the quality of apprenticeships wherever possible to make sure they’re the best they can be.
• We’ve recently announced an online rating platform where apprentices can rate their apprenticeships and provide feedback to help future apprentices choose a course that’s right for them.
• We want as many apprentices as possible to finish their programme and reap the benefits this brings.  We know there is always room to improve, which is why we want to hear from the people who know best – the apprentices, apprenticeship training providers and employers.
• We’ll be launching an exit feedback tool in the 2026, so if you decide to leave your apprenticeship early, for example to take up another training route or job, then you will have a chance to leave feedback to help us support future apprentices.

If you think doing an apprenticeship might be the game changer you were looking for to take the next step in your education and career, see what exciting opportunities there are in your area.