Apprenticeship Mythbusters

We know that sometimes people can misunderstand apprenticeships and what they’re all about, so we’ve put together this blog to bust some of the myths you may have heard about them! 

Myth 1:  Apprenticeships are for people who are not academic or did not perform well at school  

Apprenticeships are an alternative to more academic routes such as A Levels, Vocational and University courses, but that does not mean that they’re worth any less, just that they’re structured differently. Apprenticeships offer a more hands on learning experience, but there’s still some studying involved. In fact, you can even get an apprenticeship equivalent of a university degree. 

Myth 2: Apprenticeships are badly paid  

The current apprentice minimum wage is set at £4.90 per hour, but if you are over the age of 19 have completed your first year then you will be entitled to the national living wage. Some employers may decide to pay their apprentices more than the minimum wage. In the long term some apprentices may end up earning more than a University graduate in the same position, and without the debt! 

Myth 3: Apprenticeships are only for trade or manual jobs  

Whilst some of the most popular sectors for apprenticeships are for more hands-on jobs like construction or health and social care, there are new apprenticeships being introduced all the time. At the Middlesbrough College Group, we currently offer apprenticeships in over 15 different sectors including accounting, customer service and engineering.  

Myth 4: Apprenticeships are only for secondary school leavers  

Anyone over the age of 16 can apply for an apprenticeship, whether you’re wanting to get back into work or fancy a career change, apprenticeships are for everyone!  

Myth 5: There are no opportunities for progression  

Whilst apprenticeships do not come with a guaranteed offer of employment, many employers do end up keeping their apprentices on. Just take a look at some of our previous apprentices and their success in the workplace! 

Myth 6: Apprentices don’t add value to a business   

Many employers find that apprentices help to spread the workload and in turn boost productivity. Apprentices are trained to fill a skills gap in an organisation and are essential team members in the workforce.  

Theresa Bryson, a team manager at Sage UK, had this to say about her apprentices: “I have been blown away at every stage of this process by the professionalism, diligence and maturity shown by our apprentices. They have been a breath of fresh air. They’re eager to learn and their confidence is building every day.” 

Myth 7: Apprentices have to do all the boring tasks that nobody else wants to do 

The apprentice is there to learn all the skills they need and so they are able to get involved in new and exciting projects within the company they’re working for. Many employers want their apprentices to develop within their business and contribute to meaningful change within the company.  

Just hear from Grace Davis, a previous Wander Films apprentice, she said: “A typical day for me as an apprentice includes arriving at my workplace and completing tasks that can vary from answering phone calls and emails, creating documents and spreadsheets, collaborating with the team, planning projects and events, managing clients, research for projects and assignment work… and obviously having heaps of fun while doing it.”  

Whether you’re an employer thinking about hiring an apprentice or someone looking to get an apprenticeship, the team at Northern Skills can help take your career or workforce to the next level.  

If you’re interested in applying for an apprenticeship you can view our current vacancies here: https://www.northernskills.co.uk/learners/apprenticeship-programmes  

Or, if you’re thinking about hiring an apprentice, you can find out more and get in touch with our friendly team here: https://www.northernskills.co.uk/employers