‘Build the future’ in this years’ National Apprenticeship week
National Apprenticeships week for 2021 starts on Monday 8th February and hosts a wide range of events and activities for you to get involved with. Whether you are stepping out of school or looking for something different, apprenticeships offer the chance to learn skills and trades while still earning an income. Knowing where to go in a life can be difficult at any stage so there is no discrimination against those looking to experience the benefits an apprenticeship can provide.
For uncertain parents, carers, students, and workers this year’s National Apprenticeship week will bring together great groups of past apprentices, employers, and training providers to discuss any questions you may have. With a collection of virtual talks and presentations, there are plenty of opportunities to raise concerns or queries about working in various positions. Even if you’re just a little foggy on some details, we are all together to bring awareness and guidance.
Apprenticeships provide an opportunity to earn while you learn; working in a role where you get to be hands-on alongside your education. It creates a balanced environment of work and learning to allow for apprentices to develop at their own pace and use experience on the job to help them. For those looking to change career or try out an industry that they are unqualified in, apprenticeships allow for the chance to gain knowledge and qualifications without having to go back to full time education or lose out on earnings. Guidance and mentoring are major aspects of an apprenticeship, so you will never be going through your journey blindly. They are there to help lead people through a potentially unfamiliar industry, using their expertise to guide the way.
Highfield want to create opportunities to anyone keen to learn, providing various apprenticeships and trainee roles like my own position as Content Apprentice. I left University with a degree in film production and the certainty that no matter what roll I took on, it had to be creative. Less than a year later, the pandemic hit and pretty much shut down the film industry, bringing about a vast amount of uncertainty for these creative roles. However, I saw this as an opportunity. With so many people at home, the digital presence for businesses become paramount. While I had my knowledge and skills for film, I wanted to understand more around content and marketing. Content creation is such a huge part of modern-day society and I only knew a small part of it. Within this role, I will be able to experience far more skills whilst still having the opportunity to utilise my degree; all in an environment that respects the fact I am learning. This has meant I can develop without pressure or worry about being overwhelmed by my inexperience within this sector.
Many businesses are supporting and providing these opportunities and that figure keeps growing. With far more opportunities available, be sure to check what your apprenticeship contains to be certain you’re getting a legitimate experience. There should be:
- A recognised qualification
- Communication with a college or training centre
- Agreed minimum pay rate
Apprenticeships are beneficial not just to potential apprentices but also to businesses. They open up the workforce, broadening the skills and allow for a younger generation to be targeted in educating about otherwise lesser-known job roles. Hands on experience is often missed out on, so creating experiences and awareness will help appeal to many who are looking for future careers. National Apprenticeship week hopes to do this via interactive activities and talks, expanding its reach over the years to bring information and attention regarding the benefits and opportunities within apprenticeships.
Don’t forget to get involved in all the virtual talks and presentations happening this year. We may not be able to get together in person, but we can still reach out to anyone with questions or queries about getting into an apprenticeship. Grab a place in any of the live talks from the STEM hub taking place throughout the week. Even if you don’t know much about the career opportunities in STEM subjects, admission is completely free, and you may discover a passion you never knew you had!
You can visit our jobs page HERE.
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