An apprenticeship lets me live life on my terms

I am currently in the third year out of five of my level 6 apprenticeship, and this has allowed me to take some time to reflect on what I have learnt both of myself and the apprenticeship employment path during this time.

I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is committed to putting in the additional work to make it work for them.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we hear from Lauren, one of our Future Voices Ambassadors, about her experience completing an apprenticeship and why she chose to pursue this path.

I have often struggled in the past with classroom-based learning, and when considering an apprenticeship over going straight into employment or university, I found that practical work that supports my studies was really something I was interested in starting, and also being in a working environment within a wider team to support me. This was one of the reasons why I was drawn to my current position working within construction. It is also very fulfilling to see a material impact that you as an individual can make within a company as a full time apprentice, compared to perhaps the opportunity you would have to do that as a placement student.

I have always been a very independent person, and I believe this did factor into what made me choose an apprenticeship over another career path. As I am paid for my time (both working and studying), I am able to have a higher level of control over how and where I live. Especially in the current economic climate, I am grateful to be able to have a stable income that supports my lifestyle, which is not necessarily what all young people receive if they are going through traditional student financing arrangements.

Additionally, when I finish my apprenticeship, I will not have to compete in the crowded market for graduate jobs. I will have built up 5+ years of experience within my industry, a solid network of professionals I have worked with in that time and have a firm understanding of what skills I have developed within the workplace that are beneficial to my future employment.

An apprenticeship lets me live life on my terms, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is committed to putting in the additional work to make it work for them.