Being an Apprentice or an Intern are both ways of obtaining valuable experience and are very beneficial to businesses seeking to solve skill or people shortages. However, they differ considerably in terms of benefit to the company and the trainee, so what’s the difference between an internship and an apprenticeship?
How long do you think they last?
An internship often lasts a few months with a maximum placement of a year, while an apprenticeship may last as little as a year and as long as four years, depending on the degree and industry.
An internship is often seen as a short-term work experience during which an intern may put existing skills to use and gain experience. On the other hand, an Apprentice is a long-term qualification in which you teach a person new skills and knowledge to ensure they are helpful to the company in the long run.
Internships provide work experience, while apprenticeships provide qualifications
An apprentice will be taught by a training provider, college, or university and will work toward a nationally recognised certification at the appropriate level.
This will be done via a combination of training, shadowing, coursework, and mentoring, and they will be required to dedicate at least 20% of their time to this.
Because the apprenticeship includes training from both the provider and the employer, the capacity of the company to teach and grow the new hire apprentice is essential.
On the other hand, an intern will only get training from their employer and will not receive any kind of certification as a consequence of their experience. They will also often be using existing skills and gaining experience rather than acquiring new ones.
Consequently, it is rare for an intern to be hired and given a project beyond the scope of the company’s skill set or experience. Apprentices are looking for their first step up the professional ladder, while interns are learning on the job.
Apprenticeships are often paid, while internships are not necessarily
Internships are sometimes known as work placements or work experience, but these terms have no legal meaning. On the other hand, apprenticeships are strictly regulated, and although the minimum wage for apprenticeships is £4.81 per hour, the majority are paid much more. Professional Apprentices may earn between £11,000 and £15,000 per year as a starting salary.
An essential thing to remember is that an apprenticeship is more likely to result in a full-time job
Although not unheard of, it is uncommon for an intern to be given a permanent job after completing their internship. Typically, such a skill set has a short-term demand but no need or money to become long-term. It is also unusual for interns to accept such a job since they often look for short-term experience to work towards a different goal.
This does not negate the value of an internship for both the business and the intern, as long as clear expectations are set before the start of the placement.
An apprentice would often sign a longer-term contract and, more often than not, expect to be employed upon completion of their apprenticeship.