Early Years/Teaching Degree Apprenticeships in Ireland or UK for people just out of school

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Hi, I’m hoping this is the right place to ask this (I have also posted it on the apprenticeship section but know that that can be very quiet) and sorry that it’s long!

I had considered doing an apprenticeship in the childcare/early years sector after school/college as over time I realised that uni probably wasn’t the most suitable for me but there was none here in Ireland and the ones in the UK didn’t seem to be at a high enough level to make it worth relocating over for (especially with having to pay for accommodation etc, which I’m not currently doing here).

So I decided to start an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Care and Education here in Ireland (just so I could get my degree and not have to go back to do one later on) and am halfway through 1st Year but unfortunately as I expected I hate the course and uni life in general.

Then my mum met someone we know and they were talking about courses and she told my mum that they have degree apprenticeships here in Ireland.

This was news to us but unfortunately I have failed to find anything so far about them for here in Ireland (and have made enquiries to relevant people and groups/authorities but haven’t had any answers yet) but Googling it keeps showing me that they do exist in the UK, but I’m struggling to find ones that take people who are just finished school (so people who don’t already have undergraduate degrees) that are in the early years/teaching sector, so was wondering if any of ye might be able to help me with this?

I suppose I’m just wondering if any of ye know if degree apprenticeships exist in the early years/teaching sector yet (in either Ireland or the UK) and if so who and where offers them and where and when can I apply for them?

In case it makes any differences, I think I have the necessary grades in maths, English and science in both my GCSE and A Level equivalents here in Ireland (they were enough for uni here so I think they’d be okay for the UK too).

Both me and my parents have agreed that if I could find a suitable one that I could leave uni and do one of those instead as we all know that I would much prefer being mostly out in the workplace rather than at uni.

I love working with children (I have done work experience in both a pre school and a primary school) but hate uni life so it would be a dream come through if I could do a degree apprenticeship in that area (and the lack of fees and the small wage would definitely help too, but I genuinely wouldn’t be doing it just for that)!

Thanks in advance!

[Holidayshopping]

Of course you can do that-just not as a teacher. You just need to look at non-graduate positions.

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Ideally I’d like to work in the younger years of a state primary in England but unfortunately I don’t see anything like that happening

[SparkyBlue]

@CanIHaveChocolatePlease yes the person I know has taught in private primary schools on the continent. Well that's what i have been told anyway. Obviously she can't teach in primary schools at home.

[Holidayshopping]

So can you work abroad with that degree? Do you think it would just be in playschools/nurseries or could you work in the younger years of a primary (preferably state) school too?

Possibly, but not as a teacher.

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Ya I am starting placement next month but I’m just dreading the thought of going back to uni itself, and the possibility of getting to do an apprenticeship instead had me excited but that’s looking unlikely so I can feel the dread starting to creep in again

So can you work abroad with that degree? Do you think it would just be in playschools/nurseries or could you work in the younger years of a primary (preferably state) school too?

[SparkyBlue]

@CanIHaveChocolatePlease I totally understand where you are coming from.
At the end of the day you ARE doing a course in an area you really want to work in and a good education is never a waste of time. The person I know with this qualification was able to teach in private primary schools abroad and had a wonderful time doing that. You will probably start doing placements next year and I bet you will find it all much more interesting. There are always students in the Montessori and pre school rooms in my children's crèche who are doing this degree and they all seem to be really enjoying the course.

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

I know, unfortunately I didn’t get enough points or high enough in Irish so didn’t get teaching (and would have to resist Irish at some stage to go in the back door down the line and they’re pushing the grades for it up even more this year so doubt I’d get it) and I don’t think I’d have the ability or motivation (or money) to do a Master’s - as it is I doubt I’ll stick out this course but don’t know what I should do instead that would have me suitably qualified and earning a decent wage, that’s why I was hoping to do an apprenticeship

[SparkyBlue]

OP I know people who have done that degree and you are not qualified to teach in a primary school after graduation (at least not in Ireland) so if you want to become a primary teacher you need to go on to do post graduate studies. I think you should think seriously about what type of work you would like to do afterwards and start basing your decision to stay with the course on that. I know a friend who did it and is very frustrated that the only work she can get is in a pre school on a very low wage and she is saving up to do a masters at the moment.

[Holidayshopping]

A teacher is a teacher, whether they teach reception or A level.

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Well whatever about teaching I thought they’d have them for early years teachers/nursery workers so that’s disappointing so it looks like I’ll end up having to stick out this course but thanks for all yer help

[Stillabitemo]

I thought that they had brought out apprenticeships where you could spend most of your time in the classroom and then spend maybe one day per week at uni and then after your few years that you’d come out with your degree after having mostly being out on work experience but also obviously having learnt theory

Not for teaching as it’s a graduate profession. You could do a TA apprenticeship, but this would be level 3 usually and you wouldn’t get a degree.

[Holidayshopping]

apprenticeships where you could spend most of your time in the classroom and then spend maybe one day per week at uni and then after your few years that you’d come out with your degree after having mostly being out on work experience but also obviously having learnt theory.

That’s pretty much what my PGCE was like, but it’s obviously a post grad course.

Did you look at doing a BEd/BA+QTS (whatever it’s called now!)?

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

I thought that they had brought out apprenticeships where you could spend most of your time in the classroom and then spend maybe one day per week at uni and then after your few years that you’d come out with your degree after having mostly being out on work experience but also obviously having learnt theory.

I mainly don’t like the social side of uni and all the hanging around and gaps in the timetable and the lack of interaction with the lecturers, and yes i’ve only done one term so far but don’t see much changing tbh.

I’d do something like a TA or childcare apprenticeship only that I’d feel like it would be a backwards step from where I am now (even though I’m very tempted to just ditch uni altogether and do something like that instead!)

[Holidayshopping]

You want to be a teacher without going to university and getting a degree, and you want to not pay any fees plus get paid whilst you do it.

I don’t think you are being very realistic in your aims.

Have you just done one term of university?

[SparkyBlue]

Most people I know these days who are primary teaching have extra qualifications on top of their B Ed qualification. There is definitely no apprentice scheme operating in Ireland and I have never heard of such a thing. If you really don't want to stay in college then you can't be a teacher unfortunately.

[Holidayshopping]

What do you dislike about your course?

If you don’t want to do a degree but want to work with children, what about doing a TA course or an NVQ/cache/diploma in childcare?

[PotteringAlong]

but I’d be happy to do an apprenticeship in either sector if it meant I could mostly avoid uni and learn on the job.

If you want to teach you can’t avoid Uni.

[Holidayshopping]

You need a degree to teach. I would want my children taught by someone who has been to university!

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Thanks for yer answers .

I’m finding it hard to know exactly what is and isn’t available so that’s why I said ask on here.

I know that there are degree apprenticeships for other sectors and that there are early years apprenticeships but unfortunately it doesn’t look like there’s a combined early years/ teaching degree apprenticeship at the moment .

They do have teaching degree apprenticeship but unfortunately they’re only for if you already have a degree .

I think I would prefer to do teaching (ideally with the younger years so pre school or Reception / Key Stage 1 children) as I like the idea of the structure and routine of a classroom, and that I would be actually teaching the kids something, but I’d be happy to do an apprenticeship in either sector if it meant I could mostly avoid uni and learn on the job.

[Holidayshopping]

I’ve never heard of a degree apprenticeship in teaching. Do you want to teach or work in a nursery?

[Stillabitemo]

As far as I’m aware there aren’t degree apprenticeships in that area.

Teaching you need to complete a degree with QTS, so a BEd or a BA/BSc followed by a PGCE.

Although degree apprenticeships are discussed a lot, in actual fact there are relatively few of them available, they’re incredibly competitive when they do exist and they tend to be in areas like surveying.