Apprenticeships

[dragonDan]

My son is in year 13. Studying maths, economics and Geography for a-level.

He has applied and got offers for university's but he really doesn't want to go to uni.

He wants to do an apprenticeship. He has applied for some and hasn't heard back from a lot of them. He has got to the second stage in a couple but then got rejected.

He has done very badly in all his a-level mocks and is trying to pull it back but I'm not sure if he has left it too late. (Also possible undiagnosed ADD issues so finds it very very difficult to stay focussed and revise).

He is still applying for apprenticeships. I'm really worried that he is going to end up with nothing. No uni and no apprenticeship.

Is time running out for apprenticeships? Ideally he wants something in accounting or finance or risk management.

Should he progressing with the applications by now ?

My ds1 is applying for Uni and apprenticeships. He has all of them still going on. Which one did your dd apply to? What Dh's they say, what feedback?

Because I think they are coming to the end of applications for most. Ds is expecting to hear back from all of his in the next 2 weeks.

But there will be plenty more chances in the next couple of months, for sept 23 starting places, apprenticeships.

They are not the only two options though are they sho he won't end up with nothing, he could go to college or get a job. It doesn't even have to be a job he wants long term just so he is doing something while he keeps applying for apprenticeships. I am late 30s and just starting an apprenticeship this June.

Thanks for the reply. How many did your DS apply for?

My DS has applied for about 10. And has only heard back from 2.
One saying he has progressed to the next level and to complete an online test and one to say he has been unsuccessful. He hasn't had any feedback.

What level apprenticeship is he going for? Competition for degree apprenticeships is fierce, they can take their pick of the best Alevel students. If he goes for a level 3 scheme not being 16 will give him an advantage,especially if he has reasonable GCSEs.

DS2 is in his 3rd year of a level 3 engineering apprenticeship. His college course has people from 6 different companies. DS2 at 19yo is by far the youngest. The oldest is 26.

I agree that competition for degree level apprenticeships will be high. If he wants to do accountancy he could look at starting at a lower level apprenticeship. My 16 year old got onto an accountancy apprenticeship quite easily.

Yes he is applying for degree level apprenticeships

Not the area he’s interested in but the civil service have been recruiting for a lot of apprenticeships recently, they need a lot more staff. Might not be an accountancy related job he goes into it but the CS is huge and needs accountants and people in the finance sections too. Good promotion prospects, good pension and flexible hours for most departments. Just an idea. If he’s interested you can set up email job alerts on CS jobs

I think degree apprenticeships have been missold to 18 year olds. In 2021, 3600 started them. 270,000 went to university. So they are competitive. Lots go to existing staff or people who already have a degree but want to change careers. I would say keep going or drop down to a lower grade of apprenticeship. Get work and then apply?

@TizerorFizz is right that the number of 18 year olds successfully securing a degree level apprenticeship is low; so low that more 18 years olds get into Oxbridge than secure a Level 5,6,7 apprenticeship.

There is not a defined annual 'cycle' for degree level apprenticeship recruitment, though there tend to be surges in the posting of positions in September, November and January. I can see that some positions remain open for application and new ones have been posted relatively recently. Obviously, a lot depends on the sector you are interested in and any considerations concerning location(s).

The good thing @dragonDan is that your DS has been motivated to apply and gain experience of the online selection process. Successful applicants tend to be those who can show, at the later stages, they have thought through the implications of foregoing the university path and why the apprenticeship route is definitely the right choice for them; ambivalence about uni is not sufficient a reason to go down a path that requires huge commitment on both sides.

If your DS is committed to the apprenticeship route and is unsuccessful for the September 2022 intakes, he can consider taking non-apprenticeship employment to build experience, finesse his thought processes and apply for the 'immediate start'/September 2023 intakes when the time comes, or, as flagged upthread, apply for Level 4 positions - with the important caveat that he checks, as far as he can, that the organisation has a track record of further progressing its Level 4 intake.

I do think the rhetoric suggests that degree apprenticeships are a real alternative to university and most people would think the numbers of 18 year old starting them would be far higher and a much bigger percentage of 18 year olds. The 16 year old apprenticeships take more but the DC taking A levels don’t know how competitive apprenticeships are until it’s too late. If the DC ends up with low grade A levels, a degree apprenticeships won’t be likely either so looking at a lower level is probably the way forward.

Agreed and a good point @TizerorFizz. In this particular situation, @dragonDan's DS will need to be fully aware that the kind of financial apprenticeships he has in mind involve a lot of professional exams squeezed alongside a full-on 'day job'. In that sense, the exam regime is tougher than at uni. This is why employers do focus on actual GCSE and predicted/actual A level results as an indication of whether candidates can cope with that pressure. Obviously they look at other factors too, so a patchy academic record is not terminal but does make it more difficult in a situation which is much, much more competitive than many realise.

He need to be looking for Level 3 ones, not degree. Particularly if he’s having to include predicted grades and they’re not looking great.

Sorry if this sounds harsh but the competition for degree level apprenticeships is as competitive as for uni places if not more so. It really isn't an alternative for those with poorer results just a different path.

If he is unlikely to pick up his grades or to want to resit he may be better off looking at lower level apprenticeships instead.

As Pps have said degree level apprenticeships in the areas your ds is wanting go to A*AA students, he will have to start at a lower level. He may still be able to do a degree apprenticeship but will have to work through the levels to get there.

He could consider work and a foundation degree, these are vocational degrees that are working focussed and can be topped up to a full degree or a year zero on a business degree that has pathways into finance after he completes the foundation year.

A gap year might be his best alternative, as long as he works and gets some proper experience in the world of work whilst he decides what he wants.

Hi, I've just read an useful article on degree apprenticeships on www.bcluedup.com. Definitely worth a look!

”the number of 18 year olds successfully securing a degree level apprenticeship is low; so low that more 18 years olds get into Oxbridge than secure a Level 5,6,7 apprenticeship.”

wow really?! My son has applied for a few, and got through the online assessments but heard nothing further since.
he’s also applied for university but would take an apprenticeship over that if possible. He’s not an AAA student though, BBC if he’s lucky!

seems like there’s a lot of uncertainty around next steps until at least august when their results come out, and then hardly any time to work out what’s happening in September.

The article in Bcluedup doesn’t mention numbers actually getting the apprenticeships. The Government stats do. When people say degree apprenticeships are an alternative, they are, but they are difficult to get. We never see the applicants/successful applicants ratio at each employer!

I would suggest maybe looking at ‘higher’ level apprenticeships as opposed to ‘degree’ potentially. These are usually Level 4 so equivalent to only the first year of a degree. You can filter for this on the government apprenticeship website. Or alternatively he could just apply for Level 3 apprenticeships, particularly since his grades are a bit lower than he’d like. Honestly, I think he needs to see applying for apprenticeships like applying for a competitive job. He may need to apply for 30-40 before he gets one.

This website is pretty good if he hasn’t used it already www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/

TfL are also recruiting for apprentices at the moment which might be of interest to him. Good luck!