Published Friday, 29th of January 2010
Apprenticeship week 2010 see’s the start of a new Recreation Assistants Apprenticeship at the Eltham centre. Run by London Leisure College (LLC) in partnership with Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), it is aimed at getting local people into paid jobs and providing them with the opportunity to start their career in the leisure industry.
Apprentices are employees who earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff in businesses to gain job-specific skills. Off the job, usually on a day-release basis, apprentices receive training to work towards nationally recognised qualifications. They can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship, the apprentices’ ability and the industry sector.
The LLC Apprenticeship adopts a unique approach – a shorter 20 week course based at a GLL Leisure Centre leading directly into employment with GLL, after 6 weeks attendance. New apprentices begin their course at the end of February and they all get will be paid whilst completing their training!
22 year old apprentice Sarah Ealing said “I have enjoyed my experience on the apprenticeship very much. I have gained valuable experience and it has provided me with training whilst working. I would recommend anyone to join an apprenticeship and the qualifications gained give a good baseline for further development”.
Zak Goldsmith (pictured) aged 19 said “throughout my short experience so far with GLL, I feel that this apprenticeship has given me every opportunity possible. At work and at College you get to meet all different kinds of people, building good relationships with colleagues and customers. This apprenticeship allows anybody from any age, or background to show what they can offer.
Employers can be reluctant to take on Apprentices due to the myths surrounding how they work and what they involve. Research has shown that the opposite is true; Apprenticeships are “good for business”.
Myth Buster
Myth – My business needs skills that fall outside the traditional sectors / Apprenticeships are in areas like trades and construction / only in traditional crafts.
Busted – Apprenticeships are not just offered in traditional sectors. There are more than 190 types of Apprenticeships covering hundreds of job roles ranging from accountancy to textiles, engineering to veterinary nursing, business admin to construction. Most businesses will have skills needs that could be filled by apprentices.
Myth – I don’t want to train someone up for them to leave and benefit someone else’s business.
Busted – The statistics show this is not so. 83% of employers rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future. 80% said that Apprenticeship programmes reduced staff turnover. So, it seems that Apprenticeship programmes produce staff loyalty and satisfaction (Feb 2008 Populus research).
Myth – Apprentices won’t earn as much long-term as those who take university route.
Busted – The average apprentice earns £170 per week, which works out at £8,840 annually. Considering that university students may graduate with debts and need to find a job, the earn while you learn Apprenticeships route has several advantages. Career progression is excellent for apprentices, and over the course of their careers those with a level 3 Apprenticeship earn on average £100,000 more than those without. [A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Apprenticeships and Other Vocational Qualifications, University of Sheffield, 2007].
Myth – Apprenticeships are a thing of the past.
Busted – They have been around for centuries: Leonardo da Vinci was an apprentice! Since 1996/97 there have been more than 2 million Apprenticeship starts. With the launch of the national Apprenticeship Service (NAS) in April 2009, there is more structure and support available for Apprenticeship programmes.
For more information on apprenticeships contact the National Apprenticeship Service on 08000 150 600 or visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
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