You prefer to learn through experience
Are you fed up with sitting in a classroom, and excel with roles that rely more on your practical ability? A lot of young people are given the cold shoulder for not doing well at school, but it could be because academic education is not the right type of learning for them. As Einstein so wisely said:
There’s no doubting that academic learning will strengthen your awareness of an idea, but experience is the key to deeply understanding that knowledge, and applying it. I can’t recall the amount of times that I’ve crammed information for an exam the night before, and haven’t retained it in my long-term memory. However, experience of a role has given me a unique insight into the background of how things work, and how I can use the skills you read about day to day.
Doing and learning feed into each other, and if you feel like you’d learn better by doing, then the sooner you start an apprenticeship, the better.
You want to start earning money
If you are looking forward to supporting yourself financially, an apprenticeship has a minimum wage of £3.40 per hour if you are aged 16-18, or aged 19 or over but are in your first year. But keep in mind that this is the bare minimum, and it’s a common myth that all apprenticeships are paid this amount.
Depending on your sector, you could be earning around £170 to start off with, but this may go up depending on your performance and if you progress to a full-time role. However, I’ve seen apprenticeships in sectors such as finance, accounting, and business admin that pay upwards of £200 per week.
The workplace environment attracts you
There’s no doubting how fun university and college can be – you’re surrounded by people your age group with similar interests, and the possibility of going out during weekdays is all too enticing.
However, it may be better for you to learn from the experienced staff around you in the workplace, who come from a range of backgrounds and experiences. This can be hugely beneficial as someone just starting out in the industry, especially if you find a mentor who will inspire you to be the best you can be.
And of course, spending time in the workplace will naturally develop all-important ‘soft-skills’ such as communication, teamwork, and time management. These are valuable skills applicable to any working environment, and look great on your CV whatever career path you choose to take.
You want to start your career early
By the time first year students finish their bachelor degree (3 years on average) you will be achieving a higher-level apprenticeship, with 3 years of experience and knowledge, and perhaps even have a supervisor or management position already in place.
Provided the motivation is there, progressing through the qualification levels can happen quickly, meaning you will have a foothold in your career by the time students are wondering what’s next. You will also benefit by earning a regular salary by the age of 20, and will experience how to best manage your money too.
Apprenticeships have developed a bad reputation for leaving people ‘stuck’ in a career, which is simply not true. You will pick up a range of valuable transferable skills and experiences that won’t restrict you from moving into a different industry if you fancy a career change later on.
This blog was written by Babington Group.
[https://babington.co.uk/blog/apprenticeship/is-apprenticeship-right-for-me||Click here to read the original article]
