Huge benefits to workplace learning
Apprentices get to find out where their talents and strengths really lie, while being paid by the business delivering the training.
At this time of year in particular, a very large proportion of the population is wondering what to do, where to go in pursuit of a career, a viable future. Whether just leaving school, returning to the workplace after an absence, or feeling the need to upskill, so many are wondering what is the best path to follow, the most likely route to making a decent living.
The Institute of Guidance Counsellors is strong in praise of the Earn and Learn Apprenticeship route which, its members feel, offers excellent opportunities across a large and ever-increasing range of career choices.
From the traditional crafts of plumbing, construction, and electrical work, the scope has now widened to over 50 choices and the number is increasing all the time. Agriculture, accountancy, engineering, hairdressing, ICT, biopharmacy, hospitality, and more can all be explored through the Earn and Learn scheme.
Employers are encouraged by government grants to take on learners who will then be paid as they gain experience — a win-win situation if ever there was one. It’s by far the most practical way to find out where your talents and strengths really lie, by taking an apprenticeship in a company or business which you find interesting.
If you take to it like a duck to water, then they will most certainly want to keep you on. If you don’t find your metier there, then you have gained a great deal in the way of work experience and knowledge. And the best thing of all? You get paid! Earning while learning, what could be more convenient?
“The availability of traineeships in different trades and companies was limited at first, but lately it has grown exponentially as bosses and human resource managers realise that they want — and need — to attract new staff, eager to learn and become part of the company,” says Julie O’Connor, a career guidance consultant with Synergy Careers and Mid-West member of the IGC's national executive.
“In today’s rapidly expanding and ever-changing business world, companies are simply not getting the staff they need quick enough. Cyber security is a good example. An apprenticeship in that field is a brilliant opportunity for those who are really interested in the topic and have an aptitude for it, and they are earning at the same time.”
Catriona Rodgers, vice-president of the IGC, and also a teacher, agrees: “From large corporations to small hometown insurance companies, they are all looking for talented, driven and team-oriented apprentices. Really what we do in guidance counselling is not telling people where they should go, but giving them the skills to find out for themselves where their talents lie. It’s all about exposing them to different experiences and knowledge, so they can learn their own strengths and make up their own minds based on that knowledge.”
It’s wonderful, we comment, that the opportunities seem to have broadened so much from the basic traditional trades into a range of professional roles. Is this good news for those considering Earn & Learn routes into careers?
“Oh yes, absolutely,” says Julie O’Connor. “It has to be the best way for those who are unsure if they want to commit to a university course, for example, and think they would like to explore different possibilities. Of course the fact that they will be earning a salary while doing so is good news all round.”
Does she think that the present welcome expansion in opportunities will increase even further in future years?
“Yes. Simon Harris has done a great job in promoting alternative routes and stepping stones in education, offering so many ways and different doors for ways into a new career. And guidance counsellors have been trying to promote these because the plain fact is, far too many people are trying to go to college. Even those totally unsuited to the academic environment. They apply because they think it’s the thing to do, and for so many it doesn’t work out. Colleges aren’t for everybody.
Catriona nods in agreement. “As guidance counsellors, we would always urge them to apply for other things besides the classic route of university, and show them some of the options.”
Overall, both agree that the Earn & Learn apprenticeship scheme is an excellent idea.
“I really look out for it when I’m guiding students from a wide variety of schools,” says Julie. “I have students that might get very high marks but would really enjoy far more being in the workplace, actually doing things and earning money, rather than opting for the somewhat closed world of university learning and study.
“That’s where it’s hugely beneficial for those not into learning academically but want to begin careers working with their hands. And the scheme has expanded so much from the traditional crafts into all kinds of career paths now. It always surprises my students when they see the very wide range on offer now.”
For many too, she continues, it’s that opportunity to earn a living at the same time as learning a trade or skill.
“It gives that sought-after financial independence, which is so important, especially in families where money is tight, or there are more than one sibling looking for the way forward. And if you discover that this apprenticeship really awakens an interest to go further, you can still go on and apply for free tuition fees on a college course to study it further. Whereas, if you try for college in the first place, but find it doesn’t suit you, and drop out, then you do have to pay all the fees if you try again in the future.”
That can prove very expensive both in financial terms and in time wasted which could have been used more profitably. “And, on an apprenticeship scheme, not only are they gaining qualifications, but these can be very high, sometimes higher even than an honours degree from a university.”
Julie makes the point, though, that not enough people are going into the old traditional craft trades these days, and there is actually a shortage of practitioners in these fields. “When I get people wondering what to choose in a career, I always advise them to look there, among the traditional craft trades. The experience will be invaluable for the rest of your life. If you’re looking for a career that’s definitely where to look.” (Anyone who has ever tried to get hold of a plumber or electrician urgently will know she speaks truly).
“If you are interested in crafts, to be on a building site and actually see plumbers, carpenters, bricklayers, electricians in action, it’s a great way to see where your own instincts, your own natural aptitudes lie. Being there, part of something, is the best way to learn.”
Catriona feels that despite the marked expansion, there are still not enough places being offered on Earn and Learn apprenticeship schemes. “We still need more funding and more places. We need further investment, not just for school leavers but for people returning to work after a time out of the workplace and they would be ideal for these opportunities offered by apprenticeships.”
So would they say that the Earn and Learn Appenticeship Scheme benefits everybody?
“Oh it certainly does,” says Julie enthusiastically. "There is the opportunity for the employer to bring in new enthusiastic people to help grow his product or service. Employers really want it because they need it. For the apprentice, it is furthering career experience while at the same time earning a salary. And that naturally means it’s a good thing for the country as a whole, because we are growing the workforce of committed, enthusiastic, qualified people in all the different fields that make up the Ireland of today.”
So if you are wondering which path to take, look at some of those on offer here today. Earn and Learn — what could be more pleasant — as well as practical!
