Apprenticeships have changed. Gone are the days of 16 years olds working for pennies for low or no qualifications. Apprenticeships in 2024 are available in just about every sector you can think of. Qualifications start from level 3, which is equivalent to A-levels, and a huge number of employers are offering degree apprenticeships in partnership with universities! For young people today the opportunity to earn a good salary while gaining professional qualifications is too good to turn down.
However, a lot of parents, carers and teachers are unaware of the breadth of apprenticeships available to advise young people on the best options for them after school. Without widespread knowledge of these incredible opportunities, young people are not in the best position to take advantage of a programme that could kick-start their career.
Apprenticeships offer the best of both worlds for young people who might find the cost of university prohibitive. Being able to earn and learn on the job means that young people get exposure to the working world, gain experience in the workplace and start building valuable skills such teamworking, collaboration, and confidence within a professional environment. This sets young people up with a solid foundation for their early careers as well as professional qualifications usually paid for by their employer.
For businesses, apprenticeships offer early access to talent who can be trained in line with industry best practice, meaning that they are up to date on all the latest technology and processes. As such, apprenticeships play a key part in closing the digital skills gap, as they help to provide apprentices with the digital skills needed in the workplace and industry. This is particularly pressing for the digital and technology industry, which is why digital apprenticeships are becoming so popular.
Yet, it’s not only within digital & technology that apprenticeships can help to address critical skills shortages. In the health and care sector, apprenticeship routes are available for many of the more than 350 careers within the NHS. From business administration to pharmacy services, to nursing and so many more, apprenticeships offer for careers in patient-facing and support roles that are all essential to the NHS.
A lot of the work that we do at Ahead Partnership is raising awareness among young people of the brilliant opportunities that apprenticeships offer. Because we target schools whose student populations may face disadvantage and young people who may find university inaccessible, apprenticeships offer a brilliant alternative to gain higher qualifications while earning at the same time.
For more information about apprenticeships, visit Skills for Life: it all starts with skills | Skills for Careers (education.gov.uk)
For technology apprenticeships, our partner Accenture are recruiting in Leeds and Manchester : FY25 Accenture Leeds & Manchester Technology Degree Apprenticeship – Accenture (cappats.com)
For more information about NHS apprenticeships, visit: Step Into The NHS :: Apprenticeships
Applications are now open for our partner, DLA Piper’s Solicitor Apprenticeship programme. Find out more here: Apprenticeships – DLA Piper Early Careers
