As more and more people go to university, a university degree is becoming as common as it once was to graduate high school. To really stand out, many students are being forced to get their Masters degrees, even though this still doesn’t guarantee them a job and means that they end up thousands of dollars in debt before they even start their careers.
The Global Financial Crisis changed the expectations of millennials around the world. While it was once a given that you would go to college, get a degree and walk straight into a job, this is sadly no longer the case. The increased competition for jobs means that more and more graduates are waiting to start their professional lives, working in jobs that they are overqualified for, or worse- not being able to get these jobs because they’re overqualified, and are often living at home with their parents.
If this generation wants to enter the workforce with the skills necessary to have a long and interesting career, people will need to be more creative about the way they choose to begin these careers.
An apprenticeship is an excellent way to do this, and here are some reasons why you may want to consider doing an apprenticeship:
You can earn while learning
One of the best things about doing an apprenticeship is the fact that you can earn money while you’re learning. As you grow in experience and skills you’ll often find that your pay increases. Not many people have the opportunity to get paid to learn skills that they’ll use in their career, and this is one of the main reasons why an apprenticeship can be an attractive option for people wanting to get their career started and begin earning immediately.
Variety
There are a huge variety of apprenticeships available, so you’ll be sure to find an apprenticeship that works will with your skills and interests. Whether you want to work in IT and technology, sales, business, recruitment, outdoor learning or more, with a little research you’ll be able to find the perfect apprenticeship for you, if you’re looking for something specific like IT apprenticeships then it’s worth checking out the PDS group in order to get a focused programme for your needs.
A step ahead
One of the biggest problems that new graduates face when they’re ready to enter the workforce, is every job advertisement seems to say “1-2 years experience needed”. But how does someone get this experience if they’ve been at university for years and no one seems to want to give them a chance to gain this experience. With an apprenticeship you’ll have a few years of solid experience that you can put on your CV, automatically putting you ahead of your peers when it’s time to hunt for jobs.
Make Contacts
Twenty-somethings are often surprised to learn that when it comes to finding a job, it’s often who you know and not what you know that matters the most. Working in an industry will mean that you can forge relationships and meet new contacts that you can then keep in touch with so you have these “weak ties” ready when you’re looking for a new job.
