This week, the 3-9th February, marks National Apprenticeship week here in the UK and we thought what better reason to talk about the amazing opportunities there are for Apprentices across the Motor Trade.

Carrying out an Apprenticeship in any industry comes with a range of benefits and is a great way to kick start your career while continuing to develop your skills and studing for a qualification.

Here we look at the top 5 reasons you should seriously consider doing an Automotive Apprenticeship:

There are so many choices

The Automotive industry is hugely supportive of Apprentices and offers many diverse Apprenticeship programmes meaning you can be selective over what fits best with your career ambitions and dreams. For example; if you’re passionate about working with vehicles hands-on and be attracted by a Vehicle Body Repair Apprenticeship or a Vehicle Paint Technician Apprenticeship. Alternatively, your interests might lie in the retail side of things and opt to undertake an Aftersales Customer Service Apprenticeship.

There are also brand specific apprenticeships which are run by some of the biggest names in the business. BMW, Porsche, Aston Martin Lagonda and Audi are just a few of the brands that run their own apprentice schemes meaning you could land yourself a job with them once you complete it!

Gain real work experience

Naturally there is a big difference between life in education and working life but an Apprenticeship bridges that gap and allows you to develop you skills and knowledge while being in a supportive environment.  Not only will you have support from your managers and colleagues to help you with your day to day duties and progress, you’ll have an assigned assessor who will be on hand to help you with the course.

The experience you gain during your time with an employer will also set you in good stead when looking for the next step in your career as you’ll have learnt so many transferable skills in addition to your qualification.

Earn while you learn

Essentially, an apprenticeship means you get paid to learn! This makes them a fantastic alternative option to expensive university courses which often result in high student debt. Being paid to complete an apprenticeship alleviates a lot of pressure for many people who want to develop their skills and also achieve a qualification.

The average weekly wage for an apprentice is around £200 but this will vary depending on the sector, region and apprenticeship level. Some higher apprenticeships can pay as much as £300-£500 per week.

Build your confidence

Starting anything new can be daunting and it’s likely that if you’ve just come from education, the world of employment will be exactly that! However, it’s great to step outside of your confidence and try something new, especially if it results in the many positives we’ve discussed so far.

The more you learn on the job and the more comfortable you get with your surroundings the more your confidence will develop and this will help you across many aspects of your life.

Improve future career prospects

It is estimated that up to 85% of apprentices will stay in employment once they have completed their programme, with more than 64% staying with the employer who they trained with. Those who did stay with the same employer were also more likely to gain promotion within a year of completion.

A report by City & Guilds found that almost 20% of employers have former apprentices working in board level position which is a real testament to the value of an Apprenticeship and the long term opportunities it can lead to with the right attitude and determination.

There a lots of approved bodies within the Motor Trade who will support you in finding the right Apprenticeship for you so do your research and give it your all.

You’ll be accelerating in your Automotive career in no time!

Want to know how we support apprentices here at Perfect Placement?  Check out our blog.