An apprenticeship – combining work and learning – is not an easy option. Your child will not only be proving their worth in the workplace, but they’ll be expected to manage their time to study alongside their working hours.
However, doing an apprenticeship is also very rewarding! In terms of gaining transferable skills that employers find desirable, encouraging continuous learning and having valuable work experience…there are few opportunities which rival that of an apprenticeship.
What’s more, there couldn’t be a better time to be an apprentice. According to the gov.uk website, participation now stands at a record level – with 899,400 funded apprentices participating in an apprenticeship from 2015-2016. And nearly all apprentices felt that they acquired or improved their skills as a direct result of doing so.
So, how should you go about helping your son or daughter to find an apprenticeship which is right for them?
- Draw up a list of suitable apprenticeship roles – apprenticeships are available in 170 industries and cover 1500 job roles. So a good starting point would be to narrow down the type of apprenticeship your son or daughter could follow. See the government’s list of types of apprenticeship for more information.
- Research the role – encourage your child to find out as much about the role as possible. It can be helpful to note the entry requirements for the apprenticeship, as well as the pathway they’d be able to follow to advance through their chosen career.
- Find some suitable vacancies – you may be able to find vacancies online which match the kind of apprenticeship your son or daughter is interested in. A good place to start would be UCAS listings or, for childcare apprenticeships, the Parenta job board.
- Make further enquiries – once you’ve found a role which is a good match for your child, encourage them to compile a list of questions to ask the employer or training provider before they sign up to the course.
Signing up to do an apprenticeship is an exciting decision for your child, however they will be expected to be fully committed in order to make it a success. That said, the majority (92%) of apprentices feel that their apprenticeship had a positive impact on their career. Becoming an apprentice can be a great stepping stone to launch your child’s dream job in the future.
Find out more about childcare apprenticeships
