This good news comes as the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds in the East of England hits 18.3%[1].
Tracy Beesley, Regional Sales Manager at learndirect said: “Apprenticeships provide a fantastic way to earn money, gain valuable work experience and come away with qualifications which provide a foundation for a great career. Having 24 apprenticeship vacancies to fill is a positive sign for the local economy and young jobseekers in Cambridgeshire should definitely be considering the apprenticeship route. What’s more, with a huge range of roles available in a variety of sectors, there is something for most young people.”
Apprenticeships offer a number of benefits, including:
• The opportunity to work and study at the same time - allowing an apprentice to gain qualifications and experience whilst getting paid
• They allow applicants to learn skills directly relevant to their chosen career
• Getting an apprenticeship, which comes with formal qualifications, means they can go on to study at a higher level in future
• Once employed, apprentices are entitled to paid holiday and other perks just like any other employee
Tracy continued: “If you’re under 18, apprenticeships are fully funded, which means you don’t have to pay to develop your skills. We really would encourage any young person who is looking for work and interested in learning to get in touch.”
Anyone interested in finding out more, should contact learndirect on 01442 275 338 or visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
[1] http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-265428
Case study – Jamie Bedwell
Jamie Bedwell, 17, is an apprentice at Step One Nursery in Werrington, Peterborough. After completing his GCSEs in 2011, Jamie studied for a BTEC National Diploma in Uniform Public Services at Peterborough Regional College. However, after finishing the course last year, he decided on a different route and left full-time education in favour of earning whilst he learnt.
With experience of babysitting for friends and family, Jamie chose to study a level 2 NVQ in Childcare with learndirect. He secured an apprenticeship with Step One nursery as part of the course, where his role includes a mixture of hands-on caring for children and day-to-day maintenance of the nursery. Within the next year, Jamie hopes to complete his current course and move onto the Level 3 NVQ in Childcare to further his career.
Jamie says of the apprenticeship scheme: “The course has given me the solid foundation needed to work in childcare. The practical part of the course means that I’ve been able to put into practice what I’ve learnt so far. I’ve also benefited from having people around me, who have been doing the job for years that I can turn to for advice. Finally, the chance to earn whilst I learn was also really attractive and I’d recommend apprenticeships to anyone.”
About learndirect
learndirect is the UK’s leading online learning provider
· Over the last 10 years, we’ve worked with more than 75,000 organisations – large and small, public and private – to help them develop the skilled staff they need to thrive
· And we've already helped more than 4 million people transform their lives with new skills, so contributing to national workforce productivity
· We’ve delivered hundreds of thousands of qualifications with high success rates and robust quality processes
· 10,000 people log on and learn with us every day, and our learner satisfaction percentage is consistently in the upper 90s
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