Short messages on Employment and jobs from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship, the apprentices’ ability and the industry sector. The minimum salary is £2.65 per hour; however, many apprentices earn significantly more.
Apprenticeships (and Advanced Apprenticeships) can lead to a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5; a Key Skills qualification, like problem solving and using technology; (in most cases) a technical certificate, such as a BTEC or City & Guilds Progression Award; other qualifications needed for particular occupations; for higher Apprenticeships knowledge-based qualification such as an HNC, HND or Foundation degree.
If you’ve got a good idea of where you want to go with your career and like the idea of earning while you learn, an Apprenticeship could be for you. You’ll get top quality training, developing skills and gaining qualifications on the job.
If you can’t find a job, use this as your practising time. Expand your skillset and improve upon your existing skills using the time you have available productively.
An alternative to finding a job at a company is to become self-employed – where you create your own small company and work for yourself, and grow it from there.
Ask lots of questions when doing an apprenticeship. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn from years of experience from the experts.
If you can’t find a job, make yourself one. Use the skills and interests that you have, and turn them to profit.
Experts have experience and a specialised mindset – copy their activities and find out why they perform actions in that particular way and not in other ways.
If you have worked continuously for the same employer for two years or more, you should be entitled to statutory redundancy pay based on salary, age and length of service.
If you have been given notice of redundancy and have at least 2 years’ worth of continuous employment, you are entitled to take reasonable paid time off work to look for a new job.