Supporting Your Son or Daughter Through an Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for individuals to get valuable training, while building a solid academic base. They allow young people to learn a craft, and often form the stepping stone that leads to a long-term career.
But apprenticeships are also hard work, and can mean individuals work for comparatively little money. So as a parent, how can you help your son or daughter find an apprenticeship – and get the most out of it?
Finding an Apprenticeship
The first step on the road to an apprenticeship is finding a suitable vacancy. This can be a lengthy and difficult process, particularly if your son or daughter wishes to enter a very specialised field.The National Apprenticeship Service provides an online portal that lists apprenticeship vacancies across the country. This website should be your first port of call if your son or daughter wishes to start an apprenticeship but is unsure where to look.
Do remember, though, that some firms choose to advertise their vacancies elsewhere. Make sure that you look in local papers and in other media, particularly if your son or daughter intends to take on a position in the area in which you live.
Financial Support
Although apprenticeships are paid positions, you may find that your son or daughter struggles for cash. Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage but, in many cases, this will not be sufficient. This is particularly true in cases where the apprentice requires special equipment to do their job; depending on circumstances, the employer may not provide everything your son or daughter needs.Financial support is therefore often one of the most important things that you can give. For example, many apprentices choose to live at home while completing their training, before returning to education or entering the world of work as a conventional employee.
Depending on the field in which your son or daughter is working, there may be further funding available from business or non-profit organisations. Talk to your son or daughter’s learning provider for more information on this.
Educational Support
A relatively large proportion of your son or daughter’s time will be spent in off-the-job training. This has become an increasingly important element of the modern-day apprenticeship, and provides apprentices with a firm academic foundation equivalent to GCSEs, A Levels or a Foundation Degree, depending on the level of apprenticeship.Some apprentices find this element of the training the most difficult. Indeed, many chose to enter apprenticeships in an effort to escape classroom-based learning. Educational support may therefore be important to your son or daughter. Again, you may wish to contact the learning provider to find out what support you can offer, and what your son or daughter will be studying.
Next Steps
For many, the hard work begins when an apprenticeship is complete. Depending on circumstances, there may not be a guarantee of conventional employment at the end of the training, and your son or daughter may therefore need support in finding a job.It is important to remember, though, that many apprentices choose instead to return to education. You may therefore wish to be prepared to help your son or daughter find a suitable course or institution at the end of their training.
Apprenticeships can provide young people with an invaluable opportunity to garner new skills and, if they so wish, begin a career. Family members can help this process along by offering support as and when it is needed.
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