Five Reasons To Choose An Apprenticeship
What is your plan for the next four or five years?
Would you like to go to university and study for four years, enjoy your life at university with twenty weeks vacation every year and come out with a degree, a huge student debt and no job?
Or, would you rather spending the next four years, working and studying and at the end of those four years have an industry recognised qualification, be student-debt free and have a job?
Now, for many, university is a great path and it provides a great education nd pathway into many rewarding professions, but an apprenticeship should not be overlooked as a second-class pathway to employment. Here are five reasons why an apprenticeship may be a better alternative for you to university.
Money. A university education leads most students to being lumbered with a debt, in excess of $30,000, after completing their studies, whereas, with an apprenticeship, you can earn as you learn. Your earnings may not be the greatest while you are studying, but there are increments annually, based on completion of study, so in real terms you will start your working life without a millstone of debt.
Experience. As an apprentice you will be learning the theory of why aspects of the job are done that way, as well as learning how to practically carry out the job in real-life, real-world situations. You learn on the job from experienced skilled tradesmen and women and co-workers. These skills are invaluable to you as a future employee. These hands-on skills lead to you having more confidence in your ability, leading to a pride in your work and therefore an increased self-esteem.
Employability. As we touched upon earlier, when you complete your apprenticeship, you have acquired valuable skills to do your job, therefore reducing the time taken to train a new employee. You have also shown, as you studied, a commitment and dedication to the job, again making you a more reliable prospect for any future employer.
Certification. A university degree pathway leads to a degree certificate after completion of your program, which is a minimum four years study, whilst an apprenticeship can offer similar, industry recognised certificate on completion of your on-the-job training and education. The added benefit of this is there is no debt attached to apprenticeship certificate as we spoke about earlier.
Proactivity. Two friends are deciding on the future paths; one decides to go to university, and the other decides on the apprenticeship route. Now the university student has always been told that by going to university he can get a better job with a higher starting salary, which is true for many, but having a degree does not guarantee this. His friend has always been told this also, but he believes that there are certain skills he is only able to learn while working and so chooses the apprenticeship option.
After four years, the university student has graduated and is looking for a job, but all the jobs are asking for experience, which he doesn’t have, whereas his friend is in work making good money doing a job he really enjoys.
Where do you see yourself after four years?
Do you see yourself at university or as an apprentice, whichever you choose remember that the apprenticeship is a valid, valued pathway to a career, as much as a university education can be.
Comentários