Learning / Career
Apprenticeships – ‘Get In. Go Far’
What do John Major, Zoella, Simon Cowell and Mary Portas have in common?
Answer: none of them went to university but all have forged successful careers.
Conversely, many of us will know people who have top-class degrees but are working in lowly-paid jobs.
So you might think, especially since annual fees for higher education soared to £9,000 in 2012, that the numbers seeking an alternative to the traditional A-level and university route would be rocketing.
Yet the figure for teenagers on apprenticeship schemes in England fell by 10,000 between 2010 and 2013 and remains at only six per cent of 16-19 year-olds.
Skills Minister Nick Boles believes apprenticeships have an “image problem” with a generation of teenagers and parents who grew up believing university was the best way to a healthy and wealthy future.
He says teenagers are increasingly seeing apprenticeships as a viable career path and not one that is just for “mechanics and brickies” – although education professionals and young people in Bristol say there is still a way to go in getting this message across.
Emily Herringshaw, who takes a City of Bristol apprenticeship roadshow around schools in the area, said teachers and students often had the view that the schemes were for engineers and hairdressers and did not realise the wide range of opportunities on offer in areas such as the law, accountancy, IT and the creative industries.
Jasmine Manning, an apprentice with South Gloucestershire Council’s library service, said many of her contemporaries were sceptical about apprenticeships.
“A lot of them think it is a cop out when you have not got good enough grades at school. They just think it means working for less money. They don’t know about the NVQ side – going to college to get qualifications,” she said.
Apprenticeships are at three levels – intermediate (Level 2), equivalent to high-grade GCSEs; advanced (Level 3), on a par with A-levels; and higher (Level 4), university level. Most 16-19 entrants are on Level 2 schemes, a minimum of 12 months long, which involve spending most of their time in the workplace and attending college for a day or two a week.
The low pay is an issue for anyone not living with their parents. The minimum rate for teenagers is £2.73 an hour (rising to £3.30 in October). Some employers pay the national minimum wage of £3.79 for an under-18, £5.13 for age 18-20 and £6.50 for those aged 21 and over.
On the other hand, now that everyone has to stay in education, employment or training until they are 18, earning some money could be an attraction for many compared with full-time college courses.
The great advantage of apprenticeships is the structured programme in which participants receive support to build up their skills in literacy, numeracy and IT and their key skills for working life as well as gaining the relevant qualifications. Ninety per cent of apprentices stay in employment after finishing their apprenticeship, 71 per cent with the same employer. Nineteen per cent of advanced apprentices progress to university.
Apprenticeships have the slogan Get In. Go Far – emphasising that they can be a stepping stone to a great career. The managing director of BAE Systems started out as an apprentice as did 30 per cent of senior management at Rolls-Royce.
Positions with both these major employers are highly sought-after. Higher level apprentices at BAE Systems start on about £18,000 and can expect to earn about £34,000 on completion, while Rolls-Royce says successful apprentices can expect to move on to roles earning £24,000 and above.
Apprenticeships remain a good way to learn a trade. Six months into a stonemasonry apprenticeship with City of Bath College, Mike Colston, 18, from Bristol, puts his skills into practice working for Farrel Cooper, of Portishead, and has ambitions to have his own business one day.
“It’s so much better learning while earning rather than going to college every day and still not having a job at the end of it. I can’t recommend apprenticeships enough; they are the very hands-on and a great way to get the career you want,” he said.
Apprenticeships are provided in more than 170 industries including aerospace, fashion, broadcast media and finance, offering 1500 different job roles. About 40 higher apprenticeships are available.
About 25,000 vacancies can be found at any one time on the national apprenticeships website,apprenticeships.gov.uk, which is where you sign up to apply. Unlike traditional college courses, apprenticeships can be started throughout the year (and, by the way, they are not just for youngsters).
To find out about positions in this area, go to the websites of any of the five local further education colleges. They have a wealth of user-friendly information for parents, young people and – most importantly – employers. They all also have teams of people to give face-to-face advice, and they hold regular open days.
Another excellent source of information is the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, which is committed to ensuring that Greater Bristol develops “a well-motivated workforce with the skills that business needs.”
Some employers are wary of the cost and workload of taking on apprentices. Nancy Parker, from Bristol contact centre Direct Response, who takes on about ten a year and has seen some go on to take up permanent positions, said: “I’m not going to lie – it is hard work and it takes time. But the rewards from seeing the apprentices turn into valuable employees are enormous.”
CASE STUDY
Jasmine Manning says being an apprentice has opened doors to the future for her. She lived in Spain from the age of four and was educated there. Returning to England with her family at the age of 17, she took a four-hour contract job in a shop but soon found “retail was not for me”.
She discovered apprenticeships at a jobs fair at Kingswood Library and secured a position with South Gloucestershire library service, which will earn her a Level 2 qualification in customer service. But it is through getting involved with the National Society of Apprentices that Jasmine, 18, has developed new skills in communication and leadership, meeting other young people from around the country and visiting the Houses of Parliament.
The society is campaigning with the National Union of Students for a better deal for apprentices on pay, transport costs, quality control and training. The council pays its apprentices the national minimum wage and Jasmine has her sights set on an administrative job with a large and reliable organisation after she completes her contract, although she might also consider an advanced apprenticeship.
She said: “An apprenticeship is a good stepping stone to work. It gives you an insight into working Monday to Friday, nine to five, and it gives you a qualification.”
Open events
SGS College open day – Saturday April 18, 10am-1pm at Filton, Wise and Queens Road campuses;
Wednesday June 3, 5.30pm-8pm, at Filton, Wise and Queens Road campuses
City of Bristol College open events – Wednesday April 15, College Green Centre, 5-7.30pm; Wednesday April 22, South Bristol Skills Åcademy, 5-8pm; Saturday June 6, College Green Centre, 10am-2pm; Wednesday June 24, 2-5pm, Apprenticeship event at College Green Centre
Weston College open day – Call for information on courses: 01934 411 411
Bath College open day – Thursday June 11, 4-7pm
stonemasonry taster day – Mon June 22
Norton Radstock College – Thursday May 14, 5-8pm
UWE open day – Saturday June 5
University of Bristol open days – Friday June 19 and Saturday June 20
Useful websites
Helpline:
The national young people’s careers helpline is available from 8am to 10pm,
seven days a week, 0800 100 900, or for text messages on 0776 641 3219.
Most common apprenticeships in 1914
Dressmaking
Engineering
Carpentry
Drapery
Millinery
Fitting
Joinery
Tailoring
Plumbing
Printing
Source: 1911 census data
Most popular apprenticeships in 2014
Health and social care
Business administration
Management
Hospitality and catering
Customer service
Children’s care learning and development
Retail
Construction skills
Engineering
Hairdressing
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
