What do EastEnders and Croydon College have in common?….They’re both talking about Apprenticeships!
(Martin, Stacey & Bex Fowler – EastEnders)
Did you watch EastEnders this week? If so, you might have seen Rebecca ‘Bex’ Fowler announce to her disapproving father, Martin, that she was leaving school to do an Apprenticeship. Martin was none too pleased about the idea stating that she’d be ‘throwing away her education’ amongst other things.
Rodrigo Silva, Apprenticeships and Employability Manager, gives us the facts behind some of the common myths affiliated with Apprenticeships .
‘16 is too young to do an apprenticeship’
You can be an Apprentice from the ages of 16 to 65.
Starting early is a great way to get your foot in the door with an employer and progress quickly within a company.
‘You’ll be throwing your education away’
As an apprentice, you will gain real industry specific experience and training. In fact, studies show employers think apprentices 15% more employable than those who have completed other qualifications.
‘It will just be making cups of tea, not ‘proper’ work!’
To complete an Apprenticeship, you will need to cover a wide range of tasks. An employer will have to give you practical, interesting and relevant work to make you as competent as possible within your role. You simply cannot pass the programme by just making cups of tea and it is not in the interest of the employer.
‘You’ll be lucky to even get minimum wage’
The national average Apprenticeship wage per week is £178 and can vary between employer and industry.
In addition, there is research that backs up the fact that as a qualified apprentice, you may earn over £100,000 more in your lifetime than other employees.
Anything else that you can tell us?
An Apprenticeship is one of the only frameworks in the UK that allows you to earn a wage whilst becoming qualified. You can gain a wealth of experience, become more employable and gain a nationally recognised qualification. Please contact us on 0800 652 0784 to find out more.
