apprenticeship vs college

I work with apprentices. Apprenticeships are not an easy option, the standard is high and there is competition.

As an apprentice you are an employed person, all the usual rules apply. This is sometimes a shock to the system for those straight from school. They must show up on time, be polite to people, meet deadlines etc. Doing their qualification is part of their job. They can't sack it off for the afternoon because they can't be arsed, just like I can't.

For the right person an apprenticeship is an amazing opportunity that sets them up very well, they get cracking immediately with learning skills required. Rather than 2 years at college first then start learning it. But if he wants one he needs to up his game.

DH is part of a panal that selects electical apprentices from 16+. He doesnt necessary go for the applicant with the best results, he looks at attitude and will give them a task so he can see how they work with tools ie are they organised etc.
They still have to go to college one day a week , need maths and english gcses and pass their exams and they are not guaranteed a job at the end if they dont show a good attitude and initiative while they are doing their apprenticeship.

OK then don't 🤷‍♀️

There is still theory to be learned when doing an apprenticeship (or vocational course at college). it isn't just how to do things it is why so they can go ahead and apply that background information to new situations.

Apprenticeships can be hard to get and I think require more of a young person than 'just' a college course.

No, training is learning. By training you are learning knowledge/skills/behaviours to be able to do a task/job

@Fifi04 no it's learning how to do a job/trade that you want to do - whether that's school, college or apprenticeship.
It's all a form of education.

Dd is 6 months into an apprenticeship. She had to get 5 gcses 4 or above to get it. She learns on the job but has to go away to college for 4 days every 6 or 7 weeks. She gets 4 hours a week to do remote learning as well.
She's not a fan of school/ college and prefers hands on but apprenticeships are not there for less able school/hating kids.

Apprenticeships are good if the student is mature enough to cope with the 5 day a week, no school holidays approach. They get paid to train and come out with a qualification and real world experience. Also they need to be able to get to place of work.

Vocational college courses are good for those who would benefit from more maturing, and more guidance in learning, for those who don't want to go into 5 days a week slog, who want to get their qualification and then a job.

At college there will be some people who don't want to be there, but there will be many who are trying their best to get the best qualifications they can.

If your DS knows that he wants to be an electrician then he has a choice . He can either go to college and take a two year course, get his qualification and then look for a job afterwards or he can look for an apprenticeship where he gets on-the-job training . As part of their apprenticeship a young person will either go to college one day per week, or, they may just do their training at their workplace with some on-line modules and an assessor that comes to see them at this place of work .

There seems to be actually two types of apprenticeship - a traditional one which is funded by the employer and a 'modern apprenticeship' which is a government scheme with set rates of pay and the young person isn't guaranteed a job at the end but they will have learned valuable life skills being in the workplace.

Young people who didn't pass GCSE in maths, English and IT need to continue to do some kind of study in these areas until they are 18.

Beyond getting 5 GCSEs, I'm not sure of the benefit of additional academic qualifications unless they are hoping to go on to higher education . Eg good GCSEs needed for 6th form college and A level grades needed for uni but aside from this employers will be looking towards maths and English GCSE and appropriate vocational qualifications for a trade. Additional work place learning is always beneficial for promotion.

It may well be that when he leaves school he finds it easier to get the college place than the apprenticeship - so there is that to bear in mind .

I think your confused between 6th form and college. Here and where I grew up there where more college's. My DD is at college doing A-level's, I studied a BETC Natuonal diploma. Both qualifications can allow you to go onto University and do degrees, no wasting 2 years.

The advantage with college is they often have more facilities then a 6th form and can offer a wider choice of qualifications. And have other options not just A-level's.

Your son could go to college and get his electrical qualifications, then start in a job. Or he could do an appentership where he learns on the job and does day release to get his qualifications. The results is the same really and he has to stay in education until 18, appenterships count in this. It's upto him and of course if what he wants to do is offered as an appentership in your area.

Well I've been in education sector for 20+ years and I have never yet met a learner who has said they feel happier being the bottom of a class!

It is unusual to judge a pupils place by %, usually by GCSE year schools are grading in line with GCSE grades ie 1-9.
When you say 55%, he won't be getting this score across all subjects so I don't really understand how you think he is just above average. 50% in exams isn't an average.

@Fifi04 for teens that really do not pass GCSEs or get very low grades they can take GCSEs again either at a college or a school 6th form.
You can do 3 years of Post 16 education so some will spend 1 year redoing GCSEs (usually just English and Maths as they are the basics) followed by 2 years of whatever they decide to do (A-levels/Btec/T-Levels/Apprenticeship).

Firstly, for confidence and self esteem you are wrong that it is better to be the weakest in a high achieving group. In actual fact for many kids it is better to be the higest achiever of a weaker group.

55% in what? You need to check gcse past grade boundaries to see what his grade predictiins might be.

@Fifi04 after college a person can either
Get a job (any job).
Get a job in the trade they have spent 2 years studying for.
Go to university.
Do a higher level qualification/course of what they have just studied for 2 years.
Do an apprenticeship (you can do these at any age).

You are very confused with what colleges etc are.
Training is education.

Apprenticeships are education.
6th form college for A-levels is education.
They are all education, just different forms of education.

You seem very confused about what a college is and what getting a qualification means.
To get a qualification - one that you would be required to have to work in specific trades - you either go to college or apprenticeship and both are giving you an education.
College "courses" are education. Why don't you think they are?