Ask an apprentice!

As National Apprentices Week progresses, it has been great to see apprenticeships and the opportunities they offer being brought into full focus. As young people make decisions about their future – whether to continue in full-time education, or enter the employment market – it is crucial to understand the full range of options available.

Apprenticeships offer a practical, paid way to gain experience in almost every industry, whilst continuing learning – either on the job, via training, or studying concurrently.  As Prime Minister David Cameron pointed out in a blog on Huffington Post this week, ‘For far too long academic subjects have been elevated above practical learning and these rigorous, well-respected qualifications – equivalent to a traditional degree – are going to help end that imbalance.’

What is crucially important, whilst making big decisions about whether an apprenticeship is the right option, is to be well supported and informed about which path to go down. Peer mentoring offers an excellent first-hand, informal channel for potential apprentices to ask someone who has already been there, done that, ‘Is this right for me?’

Our mentors are current and former apprentices, volunteering their time to offer advice to those considering apprenticeships, often because they received excellent advice themselves and want to give something back. They are on-hand to offer advice and support to you if you are wondering how apprenticeships work, whether they are the right option for you, if you can study while you work, and other practical tips such as how to apply.

Free, anonymous, and easy to contact online, in partnership with the National Apprenticeships Service, they will give you the insider low-down on whether an apprenticeship is right for you.

With exciting opportunities being announced every day, from Barclays to the BBC, and new funding for businesses to take on apprentices, there’s no better time to ask an apprentice!  Browse our apprenticeship mentor profiles and get on track to your apprenticeship today.

Mentor Mondays.

It’s National Apprenticeship Week! Through our partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service, we provide a place for those completing an apprenticeship, or wondering whether an apprenticeship could be a good place to kickstart their career, to connect with their peers for advice, support and useful tips.

Our peer mentors can help give you informal support and practical guidance during your apprenticeship. You may want to turn to a mentor if you’re having to make a difficult decision, or just to get support from someone who has ‘been there, done that’. 

You can talk to the apprenticeship mentors anonymously, at a time that is convenient for you. All interaction is moderated, so safe and secure.

If you are looking for a job that enables you to carry on learning, or are already in employment and want to gain further qualifications, you should consider an apprenticeship. 

Our apprenticeship mentors are perfectly placed to help you decide if an apprenticeship is the right option for you. They come from a range of sectors and organisations – including advanced manufacturing, digital economy and creative industries, business and professional services, energy and environment, construction, life sciences and engineering – so can advise you on a particular course or industry or help you with general issues. They have volunteered their time to offer advice based on their own experiences.

We’ve made it easy for you to find mentors in a particular sector so that you can talk to someone who has the most relevant experience for you.

Read more about horsesmouth’s partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service and browse mentor profiles here.

Keep up to date on the latest apprenticeship news on Twitter by following the hashtag #NAW2012.

Follow horsesmouth on Twitter as we introduce inspiring apprentice peer mentors during #NAW2012.

Read the basics about becoming an apprentice here.

Apprenticeships buzz growing.

Good news in the run up to National Apprenticeship Week next week; the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills released statistics showing that 457,200 apprenticeships were started in the 2010/2011 academic year; a 63.5% increase, year on year.

Growth took place at all levels of learning, for all age groups, and across all sectors and all regions. For the first time a figure was released on apprenticeship success rates, showing that 76.4% of learners successfully completed their apprenticeship.

Skills Minister John Hayes said, ‘This success, mirrored in every English region, is putting businesses on stronger ground to deliver a more balanced economy. It is equipping young people with the skills that build prosperous careers, and forging communities in which the common good is served through creative endeavour and purposeful pride.’

In other apprenticeships news, a group of London councils secured apprenticeship funding of £1.25 million, which will lead to at least 700 young people across the boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton, Croydon, Kingston and Richmond being given apprenticeship opportunities.

If you are an apprentice, or are thinking about applying for an apprenticeship, a mentor could help you onto the right path, by offering advice based on their experience. At horsesmouth, we have partnered with the National Apprenticeship Service  to offer free, anonymous peer-to-peer mentoring.   

One of our mentors, matthew, explains, ‘I had a mentor while completing my apprenticeship and they were very helpful and knowledgeable. Now that I have completed my apprenticeship I would like to do my part and offer help, support and guidance to others who are currently studying for or thinking of completing an apprenticeship. I think this kind of mentoring works well as it is sometimes easier to ask questions online rather than in person.’

Keep an eye on our Twitter feed and Facebook page as we share profiles and stories from our apprenticeship mentors and mentees next week, as part of National Apprenticeship Week. If you’d like to get involved, tell your story in our group. 

 

Mentoring your way to an apprenticeship

‘I love my job and wouldn’t change it for the world.’ From the horse’s mouth of Paul, Advanced Apprentice of the Year 2009,  and a mentor on horsesmouth through our partnership with The National Apprenticeship Service.

In the New Year, employers will be invited to bid for a share of a new £250 million Government fund for employer-led training programmes, so now is the time to start thinking about whether an apprenticeship is right for you and what benefits an apprenticeship could bring.

Being an apprentice is an excellent way of gaining qualifications and workplace experience. As an employee, you can earn as you learn and gain practical skills from the workplace. Anyone living in England, over 16 years-old and not in full-time education can apply.

However competition for places with employers can be fierce, so you will need to show that you are committed, and aware of your responsibilities to both yourself and the company who would employ you. This is why getting advice from a mentor is could be extremely valuable.

Our partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service has 65 mentors, signed up and ready to help you decide whether an apprenticeship is the right option for you and advise on a particular course or industry. Talking to a mentor will give you a headstart on working out whether an apprenticeship is right for you, which industry will suit you best, how to frame your application…the benefits are endless.

If you are already part of an apprenticeship scheme, a mentor can help you with support and guidance – if you’re facing a difficult decision or just to get support from someone who has been there, done that.

The apprenticeship mentors on horsesmouth come from a range of industry sectors, including advanced manufacturing, digital economy and creative industries, business and professional services, energy and environment, construction, life sciences and engineering.

So, to benefit from the wisdom of mentors such as Paul, click to see his profile here, or click through to browse all of our apprentice mentor profiles and make a connection today.