If you are unsure about what your next step after leaving school should be, you may want to look at some of the alternatives to attending university. One of those alternatives is to take on an apprenticeship, which offers a number of substantial benefits, which you should take into consideration when planning the next step of your education.

So what are the Benefits?

To begin with, when you sign up to an apprenticeship you do not have to worry about paying tuition fees, nor will you have to apply for a student loan or any other form of finance. In fact, your training will be sponsored by a company that is involved in the engineering and construction industry. In addition to which, you are actually earning money whilst you learn a trade, and there are a number of industry recognised vocational qualifications that you can work towards including the Level 4 VQ in Project Control, which is equivalent to a university degree.

An apprenticeship makes sense because not only are you working towards a recognised and useful qualification, you are also getting that hands-on experience that so many employers want these days. Plus, the skills you learn are exactly the kind of skills that employers in the industry want; therefore, you are enhancing your chances of obtaining a career that has really good advancement prospects.

What Qualifications are required to Begin an Apprenticeship?

It is ideal that you have at least 3 GCSE passes at grade C or above in Maths, English and either a technical or science based subject for a craft apprenticeship, or at least grade B’s for a technician apprenticeship.

In Scotland, the qualification requirement is similar, with the requirement for a craft apprenticeship being 3 standard grades at grade 3 or above in Maths, English and either a technical or science subject, whereas the minimum requirement for a technician apprenticeship is grade 2.

Is an Apprenticeship right for me?

If you want an opportunity to take on a job that is challenging, varied and offers you the opportunity to experience working in different locations throughout the world, or you wish to work towards qualifications that can actually make a difference to your employment prospects, then an apprenticeship is right for you.

So long as you are hard working, determined and ambitious, an apprenticeship can offer you as much as you are willing to put in, and is a great first step on the career ladder.