Apprenticeships Genuine Alternative To University

Almost 9 out of 10 employers have said that taking people on through apprenticeships has helped to improve their business. Typically, vocational learning is seen as an alternative for students who struggle academically. Now, increasing numbers of people choosing apprenticeships alongside high level courses on offer are challenging the stereotype. There is an issue, particularly amongst young people, regarding the 'image' of apprenticeships. This negative image stems from a long line of negative thinking, and not just from young people. For example, schools and colleges have forever been measured by how many students that continue their education on to higher education. Also it is a long standing belief that employers would favour candidates that have studied at university. The big call for apprenticeships to be acknowledged as a genuine career path seems justified, boasting many handsome advantages. People who enrol as apprentices can, depending on their field and employer, still gain university level qualifications. Not only will they acquire no debt (famously an impact of higher education) but they will earn wages along the way. Also, apprenticeships will provide invaluable working experience, which an ever-growing number of employers are making a necessity when considering candidates. Like everything, apprenticeships do also have their disadvantages. Specific careers cannot be accessed - for example aspiring doctors will have to study at university. Apprentices are effectively choosing a specific career, whereas university tends to keep options more open for students. This could be useful if people want to have the option of multiple career paths. Not only are apprenticeships beneficial to the employee, but employers are recognising the perks of employing and apprentice. Axair has recently employed marketing apprentice Joe Titley, 19 from Newcastle under Lyme. He says that apprenticeships help him get knowledge and experience directly from the work place, along with a wage and a good qualification. Joe feels it is a great balance of working and learning which are both pointing him in the same direction. Axair can also can see the benefits of this type of employment. The company feels that it is good to have someone who can be tailored to how the business works. As well as this, the apprentice can bring in new knowledge that they learn on their qualification. This will cover Website Systems, Social Media, CRM databases, Email Campaigns, Blogs, Analytics, Event Planning and Competitor Analysis.