An apprenticeship could be the ideal start to a career for many young adults approaching the end of their GCSEs or A-Levels and your school or college can play a valuable role in helping students find out more about their apprenticeship options.
In this article, we look at some of the ways in which you can incorporate information and useful demonstrations of apprenticeships to your students so that they can gain a better understanding of the potential benefits of starting their career via this route.
Overcoming preconceptions about apprenticeships with your school careers resources
While many young adults are aware of apprenticeships, there can often be preconceptions about that career route, either from the students themselves, or their parents/carers. One common myth is that apprenticeships are only suited to school leavers who are not academically gifted. Modern apprenticeships offer a wide range of qualification achievements, up to degree and Masters level, which can mean that an apprenticeship offers a viable alternative to the traditional university route. A major difference is that the apprentice doesn’t pay any costs for their training and qualifications gained, while they do get paid for the work they do alongside their learning in the meantime.
Ensuring that your school careers resources reflect the reality of modern apprenticeships can help to bust some of the myths about this career route and encourage more students and their families to consider whether it’s a good option for them.
There are many different types of apprenticeship careers
There used to be a limited number of professions that ran apprenticeship schemes, meaning that it was primarily seen as a route into a select few types of career. However, this has changed significantly under the current apprenticeship programme and there are now potentially hundreds of different careers that can start with an apprenticeship. Whatever a student’s interests, it’s likely that there will be an apprenticeship route to give them a good foundational start in a career that aligns with something they enjoy.
From trade careers to digital marketing, sport to science or fashion roles to healthcare, there are such a range of different apprenticeship careers and options that many students and families are surprised at the variety now available.
Schools and colleges have an important role to play in making sure that those looking at post-16 and post-18 options are able to find out about apprenticeships so they can make an informed decision about whether it’s a good choice for them.
Giving students a taste of different trade apprenticeships
One way to help give students and their families the opportunity to see what a potential apprenticeship could involve is to provide an opportunity for them to get hands-on with an apprenticeship in an area they are interested in. Nothing beats first-hand experience and an opportunity to ask questions to people that are specialists in their field, and this can be a really useful part of your school careers resources package.
Try a Trade is an initiative run by Checkatrade.com, that’s launching soon, where a dedicated team support schools in including engaging and useful trade apprenticeship information in their careers resources.
The aims of the programme include:
- Helping the students and their families to gain a broader understanding of domestic trade apprenticeships and career paths.
- Inspiring the young adults to think about a potential career in the trades through sharing success stories, case studies and other resources.
- Helping to involve parents and carers in the process and informing them about the apprenticeship and employment opportunities in the local area, along with everything they need to know about accessing them.
- Helping schools to connect with local employers and training providers in a way that will assist in matching students with relevant opportunities.
- Helping young adults develop the skills, soft skills and confidence to take the next step in their career.
Some of the key trade apprenticeship areas of focus for Try a Trade include:
- Bricklaying
- Carpentry/Joinery
- Floorlaying
- Gas Engineering
- Plastering
- Painting & Decorating
- Landscaping
- Plumbing
- Electrician
- Property maintenance
Other apprenticeship school careers resources
Schools and colleges also can access some fantastic resources at Amazing Apprenticeships to help ensure that they are well-equipped to communicate accurately about apprenticeships to students and families.
Some ideas to raise awareness about apprenticeships amongst the students include:
- Making or updating a display board to communicate key facts about apprenticeships and tell some apprentice’s stories about what they’ve gained from the programme.
- Include a QR code on all printed and display materials that students or parents can scan, which directs them to find out more about apprenticeships on the About Apprenticeships website.
- Running short workshops on how to apply for apprenticeships, writing a great cover letter, interview tips and what to expect when you become an apprentice.
Showing students and families that they have a variety of options when it comes to their next steps after school or college is really important. Helping them to find a way forward that suits them and their ambitions is a very rewarding process and apprenticeships could have a big role to play for some of your students as they embark upon a career.
If you think that your school would be interested, get in touch – we’d love to explore how our new Try a Trade initiative can help!
