Here’s how you can earn as you learn just like pub boss Wendy
After being made homeless, determined Wendy Omollo, 28, turned her life around with pub chain Greene King
LEARN a trade while getting paid as an apprentice.
National Apprenticeship Week kicks off on Monday, with thousands of firms nationwide showcasing the “earn as you learn” jobs.
Today and next Friday, Sunemployment will show you how to find your perfect apprenticeship — so you too can say: “I’m Hired!”
Once shunned in favour of university, apprenticeships are in favour as people turn to them to dodge pricey college costs and acquire on-the-job experience.
Wendy Omollo knows their value. After being made homeless, the determined 28-year-old turned her life around with pub chain Greene King.
Almost 40 per cent of employers now prefer to recruit apprentices, compared to just 27 per cent who listed a graduate scheme as their top way to hire, figures from the City & Guilds Group show.
Last year, 341,700 Brits began an apprenticeship.
They are open to anyone aged 16-plus, with even people in their sixties retraining. The qualifications are as good as a college course.
Level 2 apprenticeships are equivalent to five GCSEs, while Level 5 and Level 7 equate to a degree and a master’s, respectively.
Skills Minister Anne Milton says: “An apprenticeship is a brilliant opportunity. It is a real job, which means you get paid while you learn new skills.
“There is a huge range of exciting areas to choose from — such as fashion, retail, teaching engineering, accountancy, nursing and law — with the option to train at every level right up to degree-level.
“Many of Britain’s well-known firms now offer apprenticeship opportunities, including BT, Pizza Express and Royal Mail.
“Lots of smaller local firms offer them, too. There are also fantastic opportunities in the public sector including the NHS, the police, local councils and fire services, as well as our Armed Forces.”
- For more about apprenticeships and details of events during National Apprentice Week see and .
WENDY'S STORY
WENDY OMOLLO was homeless and sleeping in a churchyard when a job ad in a pub window changed her life.
She had applied for 150 jobs without success but this time got the nod, landing an apprenticeship with pub firm Greene King.
She is now a deputy manager and in charge of 15 employees.
Wendy, 28, of Aldgate, central London, says: “The apprenticeship meant there was light at the end of the tunnel. I got a place in a hostel and my pub manager saw my potential.
“That was four years ago and I now have my own place to call home. I’m deputy manager of the Lord Raglan pub in Holborn and I love my job. The next step is I want my own pub.
“If you are thinking of applying for an apprenticeship, do it.”
Greene King is a leading apprenticeship provider and has pledged to hire 20,000 trainees by the end of 2022.
Jobs range from food and beverage service and cookery to leadership roles and management.
There are currently 200 vacancies up for grabs at .
L-earn with Army
ATTEN-SHUN! Army recruits can learn while they work with an apprenticeship.
More than 5,500 soldiers complete their training annually in courses such as plumbing, bricklaying, carpentry, business administration and engineering.
An Army spokesman said: “Ninety-eight per cent of recruits finish with qualifications they can build on during and after their Army career.” See .
CARE FOR CAREER
SHOW you care with an Anchor Hanover apprenticeship.
The not-for-profit firm wants 100 apprentices for its award-winning scheme, learning care, catering and housekeeping. Or there are roles in customer services, IT, finance and HR at the Bradford head office.
Talent and early careers manager Paula Borland says: “Our apprentices make a difference on our residents’ wellbeing and a positive impact on their lives.”
See.
Myths busted
WE HAVE teamed up with National Apprenticeships to bust the main myths about the schemes. Here’s what you need to know . . .
Apprentices don’t have a real job: They offer people the chance to earn while they learn with the option to train up to degree level in more than 1,200 professions from cyber security to fashion.
They aren’t paid a real wage: While the apprenticeship national minimum wage is £3.70 per hour, the actual average wage per hour is £6.70 for Level 2 and 3 apprentices.
Average earnings for the first year after an apprenticeship are £15,500 at Level 2, £17,600 at Level 3, £20,700 at Level 4 and £25,400 at Level 5.
Jobspot
- INSURANCE giant AVIVA needs 20 apprentices from Level 3 up to Level 7. See .
- INSURANCE firm AXA UK has 25 roles across IT, digital, underwriting, finance, HR, customer service, claims, and management. Apply at .
They are only for young people: They are for people of all ages and backgrounds. In 2017 to 2018, 155,500 people aged 25+ started an apprenticeship.
If you do an apprenticeship, you can’t go to university: More than 100 universities offer degree apprenticeships.
MOST READ IN MONEY
It won’t help my job prospects: Ninety per cent of apprentices go into work or further training, with 88 per cent in continued employment.
The lifetime benefits associated with doing an apprenticeship at Level 2 and 3 are significant.
Those at Level 2 could earn between £48,000 and £74,000 more over their lifetime, and from £77,000 to £117,000 more at Level 3.