Apprenticeships come in a range of ways that are offered in a variety of industry sectors. It all boils down to choosing which company better meets your requirements and skills.
First, sit down and think about what you’re great at (no negativity, everybody is fantastic at something) and what excites you. There are apprenticeships to fit any skill, whether it is scientific or mathematical.
It is up to you to read what you can about them, but to help you, we have written this article to educate you about what apprenticeships are out there.
Apprenticeship opportunities in the Creative and Media Industries
If you are creative, you should look at beauty and hair apprenticeships, but have you thought of floristry, horticulture, graphic design, interior design, or product design? You could operate in-house for a non-design company or enter a design team at a specialised design firm.
Apprenticeships are still accessible in the theatre, but mainly on the technical side. These are suitable for people with a good balance of creative and technical skills. For example, music enthusiasts may pursue apprenticeships in music promotion, artist management, marketing, and work in live concerts.
You may like to think of a television apprenticeship. For example, working in filming and processing and video work and streaming media may be classified as this.
Media apprenticeships are made for young and tech-savvy people, so it’s an excellent option. There are many opportunities in digital media. Employers need applicants with high literacy and numeracy capabilities and solid information technology experience.
Apprenticeships in business management, leadership, and accounting
Working in a company and administration could be a good fit for you. It provides you with the ability to advance. You’ll start low-paying, but after a couple of years, you will earn a good living. Or you could work your way up the corporate ladder. Otherwise, if you’re good with numbers, you don’t need to go to university to work in accounting.
Individuals with solid listening capabilities are in high demand in the business world. Consider a career in customer service, contact centres, or shipping. Administrative apprenticeships may be right up your (very clean and neat) alley if you have an organisational streak and are the one that normally organises nights out.
You will be in charge of ensuring that the day-to-day affairs of an organisation run smoothly. Therefore, it would help if you are organised and reliable and have a keen sense of knowledge. The best aspect of working in administration deals with various companies, from clothing retailers to non-profit organisations.
Construction, agriculture, and environmental apprenticeships
Consider apprenticeships in construction, restoration, or agriculture if you’re handy with equipment. Forestry, environmental conservation, gamekeeping, and animal control, are also good choices.
Land-based engineering apprenticeships suit people who like tinkering with machines since they enable technical, scientific, and technical expertise to solve agricultural equipment and vehicle problems.
Construction apprenticeship varies from bricklaying and scaffolding to civil engineering and the dizzying heights of crane use. A career in the electrotechnical sector involves more than just wiring houses and screwing in light bulbs. You may work on highways, industrial networks, or cutting-edge electromechanical machines.
Engineering, computer processing, and telecommunications
Engineering and computer technology are also huge sectors. The information technology industry is rapidly expanding, as is the need for skilled jobs. Working in information technology is an intelligent career choice; nearly any industry sector needs I.T. specialists, and an apprenticeship can bring you a long way.
An apprenticeship in telecommunications will involve learning how to use apps, basic I.T. technology, and network security. Apprenticeships in computer technology will see you learn about software and hardware when progressing to an I.T. degree.
You will then develop blogs, and apps, dealing with I.T. technologies and keeping hackers at bay.
You may not need to go to university to work in engineering. The bulk of engineering subsectors, from transportation engineering to food and beverage engineering, need apprenticeships. Engineering apprenticeships will provide a solid basis for the knowledge and skills required to become an engineer.
An essential requirement is that you are proficient in mathematics, physics, and computer technology. However, the most challenging and satisfying part of becoming an engineer is learning to solve problems independently.
Health, social care and teaching
The NHS and private sector organisations, state governments, and armed forces provide apprenticeships in health and social care. An apprenticeship in healthcare usually involves working in clinics, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, or occupational therapy centres.
Many apprenticeships, though not all, will require technical and scientific knowledge. There are also apprenticeship programmes in hospital management and administration.
A social work apprenticeship involves caring for vulnerable people, from children to the sick. Apprenticeships in social care enable you to put your interpersonal skills to work. Otherwise, if you love animals, you can look at doing an apprenticeship in animal care.
In addition to essential animal care apprenticeships, there are veterinary pharmacy, zoo and dog warden apprenticeships, and opportunities to work in the equine industry (horses to you and me).
Suppose you’ve always wanted to be a teacher but don’t want to go to university. In that case, there are other opportunities to get involved in education and schooling. For example, as a teacher assistant, you will support the teacher and guide in the classroom. In addition, the knowledge you’ll learn through your apprenticeship will help you with other teaching certificates.
It is not only about teaching children; many businesses depend on schooling and training to produce good workers. You may be involved in instructional programmes, training employees’ curriculum, or communication skills.
Tourism and hospitality, retail and distribution, transportation and logistics
Apprenticeships in retail are about spending a significant amount of time on the shop floor. However, a retail apprenticeship will inspire you to do far more exciting things.
For example, you might work with visual merchandising and use the artistic eye to create a window and in-store displays. It could lead to a job as a trend consultant (or personal shopper), advising customers about what to buy or leading to a managerial role in the fashion industry.
If you’re good with people, why not try a hospitality apprenticeship? This could include learning to impress customers as a bartender, creating Mojitos and champagne cocktails as a part of the drinks team, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
If you like working in hotels and hostels, you might become a cook, work behind the bar, or hone your cleaning skills.
You may wonder how supermarkets get all of their supplies and keep hotels filled with new, fluffy towels. This is where the logistics and production sectors come into play. It is a massive industry on which we depend every day.
Consider it a vast global undertaking; every individual and company on the globe is impacted and reliant on transportation and logistics. You could choose a career in distribution, logistics, or warehouse management.
It would help if you were well-organised and had strong communication skills. If you like being on the move, you might consider couriering or driving those huge lorries around Europe.
There are also apprenticeships accessible for those who want to serve as an air cabin crew member or to keep their feet on the field in aviation operations and ground crew.
Recreation and sports
For those who choose to be professional athletes, there are apprenticeships in “sporting excellence.” The governing bodies in each sport are mainly in charge of this. And if your sporting skills aren’t quite up to par, you will also get involved in the sports industry in many ways.
Interns are used by many recreation centres, for example. You could become involved in coaching or teaching sports or use curiosity to pursue a career in physiotherapy.
Essentially, we’ve been trying to explain that many apprenticeship opportunities are open. The most crucial thing, though, is to have an open mind!