What is a Modern Apprenticeship?
/There are some common misconceptions when it comes to Modern Apprenticeships and because we’re pretty passionate about them here at l&g learning, we decided to set the record straight.
When some people hear the word, ‘apprenticeship’ they tend to think along the lines of the image below.
Painting by Louis-Emile Adan
Well, things have changed… A LOT. Nowadays an apprenticeship can look a lot more like this:
Peyvand Alipoor, Childcare Modern Apprenticeship graduate. You can read her case study here: Skills Development Scotland
So, what exactly is a Modern apprenticeship, and who can do one?
Well, the truth is that anyone can do a Modern Apprenticeship. Although the funding might be different depending on your age, Modern Apprenticeships are essentially a way to learn whilst you’re at work so they’re great for upskilling staff and if you’ve just left school, they’re actually a really good way to earn some money and get hands on experience whilst you work towards a qualification.
To put it simply, a Modern Apprenticeship is a combination of working and studying. You go to work, you learn whilst you’re at work and then you are assessed on what you’ve learnt. Once you’ve completed your Modern Apprenticeship, you’ll have achieved an industry recognised qualification, earned a wage, and know what it’s like to work in your chosen sector.
Apprentices have been employed for hundreds of years in the UK. Back in the sixteenth century parliament introduced minimum standards for apprenticeships making it illegal for anyone to “exercise any art, mystery or occupation” unless they had completed at least seven years as an apprentice…SEVEN YEARS!
Luckily these days most Modern Apprenticeships only take around one to four years to complete, depending on the industry and level of qualification. Our Childcare Modern Apprenticeship candidates usually only take around 12-18 months to become fully qualified.
Modern Apprenticeships were first launched in 1994 and since then have been developed in line with specific industry standards which means that apprentices will learn the exact skills needed to work within their chosen sector. This benefits their employers too because it helps to fill skills gaps within the industry. According to Skills Development Scotland, 92% of Modern Apprentices stay in work once they’ve qualified so Modern Apprenticeships really are a great way to build a better, more productive workforce whilst also helping to reduce youth unemployment.
What’s it like doing a Modern Apprenticeship?
Iqra Rahim (below) completed her SVQ 3 Social Services, Children and Young People qualification with us last year and is now a fully qualified Childcare Practitioner.
Learn more about Childcare Modern Apprenticeships with l&g learning:
Iqra Rahim: Childcare Modern Apprenticeship Graduate 2021
Apply for a Childcare Modern Apprenticeship with l&g learning:
Iqra had been interested in working with children for some time, so when she left school, she decided that a Modern Apprenticeship was the perfect route to go down because she wanted a more practical, “hands on” way of learning.
Iqra says that when she was at work, she was “actually doing the things, and then going home and writing about them” which made the learning process so much easier. She also explains that with a Modern Apprenticeship, “you are able to experience first-hand the kind of job you will be walking into when qualified”.
Are Modern Apprenticeships just for young people?
Modern Apprenticeships aren’t just for people fresh out of school. Lots of people who are looking to change careers, or to upskill decide to go down the apprenticeship route because it allows them to continue to work and earn money whilst learning new skills.
I’m 37 years old and I completed a Modern Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing last year… and it was one of the best things I’ve done!
I’d just returned from maternity leave and because of the pandemic my job role had changed. Like a lot of companies, l&g learning had adapted to incorporate a much more digital way of working. During lockdown periods, our training had become fully online and so it followed that our marketing and administrative roles also had to adapt and become much more digitally focused. This meant that I needed to learn some new skills! I had a baby at home, and I didn’t have time to attend night classes or go to college, so a Modern Apprenticeship seemed like the perfect choice.
My Assessor would set me tasks to complete whist I was at work and then I would do a bit of written work at home. For me, work-based learning was a gamechanger. Because I was doing the work on a daily basis, I found that I understood it better, and that the information stayed with me, which made writing about it much easier. For me, a Modern Apprenticeship was the perfect way to upskill.
Whether you’re upskilling or starting a new career, Modern Apprenticeships offer real routes to progression. Over the last few years, Modern Apprenticeships have really evolved; they’ve become a vital part of the job market, and a fast-track career option for lots of people. If you’re interested in doing a Modern Apprenticeship, you can check out the huge selection of choices over at Skills Development Scotland’s website.
-Lucy Kyle
Find out more about doing a Modern Apprenticeship with l&g learning
L&g learning specialise in Modern Apprenticeships for people who are interested in/or who are working in the Care sector. If you’d like to find out more about our Modern Apprenticeship Programme, you can head over to the Modern Apprenticeship section on our website or click the button to apply.
