Older apprentices

[JeandeServiette]

Having a bit of a vigorous exchange of views here.

SIL has seen a job that would suit her perfectly but won't apply because it's an apprenticeship.

BIL and I are trying to convince her apprenticeships are for all ages, and particularly suitable for her as she's trying to career change after a few years at home.

She wont believe us because neither of us have apprenticeships at our workplaces so apparently we know nothing.

Anyone have any experience?

To be clear, she thinks that she's too old to be an apprentice (44). She has no issue with doing the training.

Dentist here. Apprenticeships in dental nursing are the norm. Many young people coming through but ever so common for career changers and mums returning to work to apply. For what it's worth, I think older candidates have a lot to offer in terms of maturity, experience in work and life plus they've usually made a very deliberate decision and are therefore more likely to stick with it.

Thanks @Bs0u416d

That makes perfect sense.

I'm currently doing an apprenticeship and already have a degree in an unrelated field. I was lucky enough to get a job that pays well (not apprentice rate) whilst on my course as I had experience in the area and out of 15 on my course, approx 5 are 40+ and the majority are late 20s/30s.
Apprenticeships have changed a lot recently!

I'm 39 and an apprentice. I worked for a company as admin and they were looking for an apprentice in their specialist field so I let them know I was interested and they are now putting me through the apprenticeship. Some of the things the training company send through such as "explain what is meant by British Values" etc can make you feel like they are treating you like you are still at school but in the main I havent found any issues with being an older apprentice.

Do you mean you went straight from your degree course into an apprenticeship? Or that you've already been hired away from the apprenticeship?

Sounds like a nice high 40+ rate anyway. Good luck with it.

The British values thing is odd but is the training okay overall?

Yes the rest of the training is what I would have done if I had sat the professional exams independently rather than through an apprenticeship. I think the British Values thing is a tricky box exercise as they have to teach it in schools now as well.

The Government made some organisations put a percentage of their money into an apprenticeship fund so in order to get that back as training funds we offer apprenticeships along side a normal role particularly roles we are struggling to recruit in. It’s a win win for us and most are aged 30+ many in their 40s career changers. I’d tell your sister to go for it.

Most over 30 @Summer76swimmer ? That does surprise me. Great news though.

Thanks everyone. I'll show SIL.

My 34 yo nephew is an adult engineering apprentice on good wages. It's basically an "earn while you learn" scenario.
This website explains how the scheme works.
https://www.findapprenticeships.co.uk/adult-apprenticeships/

Those doing apprenticeships what are they in please? Very interesting thanks for posting OP. I'm a similar age and it sounds great.

Also wish to add that a niece was temping at a company after finishing her degree when vacancies opened for two apprentices. She applied and was successful. The training was at degree level in a completely different subject area to her previous degree.

No, I burnt out and wanted a total change of career and had been dabbling in this area so decided to do it formally. There are people on the course who have come straight from a degree though

Yes, I wish it had been an option when I was trying to career change.

Mine is in an accountancy related field. I have a degree is a completely unrelated subject that I have never used as had my first baby at 23 and have just taken admin type roles to work around school etc companies love them because they save loads of money. My training and professional exams would have cost over £2000 but with an apprenticeship they cost the company £400.

I did one when I was 45, as part of my existing job so no change from the decent salary I was already on. The Prevent stuff was silly, and the English and Maths core skills things I had to do until I could produce my GCSE certificates were frankly of extremely poor quality and often incorrect, but the training itself was excellent. And the way putting the portfolio together forced me to think about everyday work from the perspective of skills and competencies has really helped me prepare for interviews since. Another good thing was that there’s a huge emphasis placed on all the work being done within your standard working hours- so no additional commitment needed. I definitely recommend BUT it did burn me out for training, they keep asking what I want to do next and I feel I’ve had enough for the foreseeable.

@Deafdonkey - Nephew is in gas engineering and niece was in Graphic Design

@JeandeServiette The British Values and Prevent content is an Ofsted requirement - there's a real focus on it being embedded in curriculum content.

Hard to deliver to adults without it feeling patronising or like box ticking but it has to be there.

I’m 34 and doing a business Support Admin Apprenticeship with the Civil Service. Full salary not apprentice pay. I aim to climb 2 job grades whilst doing my apprenticeship, and who knows where I will go after that 😊. I manage it whilst looking after 2 small children also. Apprenticeships are not just for School leavers.

The oldest apprentice I worked with was in his late 50s. It was a post-grad engineering apprenticeship. He did spectacularly well.

I am an apprentice tutor and have had lots of older learners 😊

I completed mine at 49.

Thanks so much everyone.

She is going to apply.