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This month sees the annual National Apprenticeship Week* return for 2016, so we thought we’d have a little look at 5 of the biggest incentives for young people to take the apprenticeship route into work…

1. Don’t Just Learn…Earn!

If you kick start your career with an apprenticeship then you won’t just be learning new skills, you’ll start earning from Day One too.

As well as gaining nationally-recognised academic qualifications while doing your apprenticeship, you’ll earn at least the minimum wage from the very moment you start.

As of 2016, the minimum pay for an apprentice is £3.30 an hour, with a minimum of 30 hours. That means you’ll earn at least £99 a week as a UK apprentice, and you’ll be entitled to at least 20 days paid holiday per year, too – plus bank holidays!

2. Get Hands-On Work Experience

Why just sit around in college or university at a desk just learning about the theory of the professions you are interested in? Why not get hands-on work experience and learn the skills you need to advance your career by actually doing the job for real in the workplace?

That’s exactly what an apprenticeship can give you. Day by day, you’ll be learning real skills in a real workplace environment. There’s no substitute for that sort of experience…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbtuvqoaEWo

3. Apprenticeships Convert Into Real Jobs & Good Money

Yes, you stand a great chance of finding a real job at the end of your apprenticeship!

9 in 10 UK apprentices manage to find a full-time job after finishing their apprenticeship, with 7 in 10 actually securing employment from the same employer who they completed the scheme with. Even better, almost a quarter of apprentices get promoted within the company within a year of finishing their apprenticeship.

And, whilst any form of apprenticeship will help you land a long-term job and see you start earning good money, the more advanced levels of apprenticeships will see you cashing in on even more throughout your career.

Government statistics show that young people who do advanced apprenticeships earn up to £117,000 more over their lifetime than apprentices who only study to Level 2, and that figure could rise to £150,000 more for dedicated apprentices who manage to complete a higher apprenticeship.

4. No Tuition Fees

If you head off to university these days, then you’ll have the burden of tuition fees hanging over your head – possibly for a long, long time…

Choose the apprenticeship route and you can write that worry off straight away.

Instead of building up debts, why not start earning instead?

5. Apprentices Recommend Apprenticeships

Don’t just take our word for it! Listen to the people who actually do apprenticeships…the apprentices themselves.

Almost 9 in 10 (89%) of UK apprentices say they are satisfied with the apprenticeship they are doing and 85% say that the experience has improved their ability to do the job they signed up for. What’s more, over 4 in 5 apprentices endorse apprenticeships for the simple reason that their career prospects have improved since they started their scheme.

Greg Simpson is an 18 year old apprentice who secured a place on Pret a Manger’s school leavers Programme through the e4s website. We asked him a few questions about the apprenticeship:

1. What attracted you to the apprenticeship, Greg?
   The support and opportunities the apprenticeship made available afterwards.
2. How long will the programme last?
   The program lasts one year, starting from September 30th.
3. What qualification will you gain?
   Advanced level 3 Apprenticeship in Retail Hospitality Unit Supervision
4. What were you doing before you started the apprenticeship?
   I had just finished sixth form and was looking for work.
5. Did you consider going to university and if so, why did you choose this apprenticeship instead?
   I had applied to university but having found out about my grades not being high enough to apply for better universities I cancelled my applications.
6. How do you think this apprenticeship will help your career?
   With a job at the end of the apprenticeship and possible advancement throughout it’s a fantastic way to earn experience even as leaders, showing management material (after quite a few years of course) which can be applied to other jobs.
7. What would you say to other students considering starting an apprenticeship?
   Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to join like- minded individuals on a career path that is structured for you. Instead of a regular job you receive a huge support network and you feel as though you are wanted to succeed.
8. How did the e4s website help you to make the right career choice?
   The website offered a breakdown of the benefits of the apprenticeships and also of what was expected of you as an individual. Weighing up said options was easy.

Convinced? Then, find out more about apprenticeships in the UK and apply for the latest live opportunities in our dedicated UK Apprenticeships Zone.

https://twitter.com/Apprenticeships/status/699888868632485888

* National Apprenticeship Week (NAW 2016) takes place from 14-18 March 2016 and will feature events all over the UK. This year, National Apprenticeship week will revolve around a theme of ‘Rising To The Top’ and will focus on the progression and opportunities which rich and diverse apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and traineeships can offer young people in the UK.

You can find out more about what will be going on and how you can get yourself involved by visiting the Gov.UK website.

Student Podcast – Your Career Kit

Want to hear from an apprentice? For National Apprenticeship Week 2021, we caught up with a former Ministry of Defence apprentice to learn the ins and outs of apprenticeships.

Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.