The final school term is nearly here

For many students we are fast approaching the final term of their school careers. Schools break up for Easter this week and thousands of students across the country will get down to the serious business of preparing for A Level and GCSE exams. Revision, revision and more revision!

Before we know it the exam season will be on us and then students will need to think about what they do next. For those sitting GCSEs the choice is stay at school, go to college or start an apprenticeship. For A Level students it will be go to University or start an apprenticeship with a few going directly into a job.

Many students will be clear about their choices but others will still be deliberating about their next steps. We have just had the National Apprenticeship Week 2016 during which 32,000 businesses pledged to employ an apprentice so it is a good time to consider this as a post school option.

Benefits of Apprenticeships

There are huge benefits to starting an apprenticeship. The first thing to note is that just about every job role is covered by an apprenticeship framework. The other thing to note is that more and more businesses are acknowledging that apprenticeships really make a difference to their businesses too.

Some of the main reasons for opting for the apprenticeship route is that you can earn and learn. You get paid as an employee but at the same time work towards qualifications and your apprenticeship certificate. You are a full time employee with a contract but you will work closely with someone in the business who will guide, teach and mentor you and help you become a highly skilled and knowledgeable employee. Apprentices, unlike those who have opted for university are also not saddled with the same sort of debt as graduates. There used to be a notion that graduates had greater earning potential but this has, in the main, disappeared. Apprentices can earn as much and be promoted as quickly, if not sooner, than graduates.

We will be writing a number of blogs over the coming weeks to try and help those who are completing their GCSEs and A Levels make the right choice. Apprenticeships are not for everyone. Many school leavers will have a plan in place and will opt for sixth form, college or university. But for many, apprenticeships are the right choice and we want to make sure that the information you get supports you in your decision making.