Why not look at an Apprenticeship in Engineering?
By
Adam Dolman

Engineering is invaluable to the British economy. In 2012 engineering sectors contributed a huge £387 billion in gross value to the economy. That figure is believed to increase to £542.2 billion by the year 2022.

(https://www.engineeringuk.com/media/1323/jan-2015-cebr-the-contribution-of-engineering-to-the-uk-economy-the-multiplier-impacts.pdf)  With that in mind there are many reasons as to why residents of the UK are being encouraged to pursue careers within the engineering sector.

In a day and age where 87% ( https://www.fenews.co.uk/fevoices/18402-the-value-of-apprenticeships-in-the-construction-industry) of employers struggle to find necessary numbers of skilled workers, the push to get people to pursue a career in engineering is stronger than ever. There is a significant shortfall of people to fill core engineering roles, around 59,000 to be precise. With that in mind, the question is why should I pursue a career in engineering? Well, that list is never ending. Engineering is such a rewarding career to follow, it is such a diverse industry that is always adapting to change.

Some of the main reasons for following a career in engineering are:

  • Engineering specialists are in demand and the salary is rewarding.
  • Engineering plays a significant role in the world you see around you- it is behind almost everything that you see.
  • If professionally registered, you would be well respected as an engineer.
  • You could make a difference in the world through engineering pioneering technology.

There are many ways to get into an engineering career. People often become nervous with the thought of entering engineering, thinking that the only route to entry is through university ending up in thousand pounds of debt.

However, that is not the case as there are many different ways of getting into engineering. One of the most valued qualifications by employers is being apprenticeship served.

Apprenticeships are a great way to gain experience of the working world. The main concept of an apprenticeship is that you can combine earning whilst learning. It gives you a chance to build experience which will look good on CVs as your career progresses, whilst at the same time having money in your pocket.

With an apprenticeship you get to work within an industry and collect invaluable knowledge of the industry. It is likely that once you have completed your apprenticeship that you will stay within the company or industry that you have joined, which shows that apprenticeships also offer you the concept of stability.

There are a few different levels and types of apprenticeships those being:

  • Level 2– these are called intermediate apprenticeships and often give you the qualifications that are equivalent to GCSE’s or standard grades.
  • Level 3– these are called advanced apprenticeships, and these will give you equivalent qualifications to A levels and Highers.
  • Level 4+- these are higher and degree level apprenticeships, which acquire you the same grades as degrees at University.

But many questions arise as to where apprenticeships will lead you. There are many avenues that you can pursue with an apprenticeship qualification in the bag, those being:

  • Remaining with the employer that you completed the apprenticeship with and progressing within that industry.
  • Continue developing your qualifications via taking higher apprenticeships and degree levels apprenticeships.

It is important to consider apprenticeships when entering the world of engineering. As mentioned before, they offer you things that a degree cannot. They offer you invaluable experience of the working world whilst still learning, where a degree would give you no experience of the working world making it more daunting when you do finally enter the working world.

It is important if you want to get into an engineering career that you direct your career in the right direction from a young age. There are a number of different things that you can do at significant ages within school, 14, 16 and 18.

At 14 this is when you are first starting to choose your GCSE’s. It is important that at GCSE’s you focus on Maths, Science and English as these are the basis to beginning that engineering career. Although it may seem a long way away from getting into engineering here you are building the foundations to your career. As many people say if you have good GCSE’s the world is your oyster.

At 16 you will have finished your GCSE’s and will be looking to move onto higher education. This is when you can first apply for an apprenticeship. If you have those crucial GCSE results, which need to be grade 9-4 in Maths, Physics and English, then you have many avenues open to you. You can apply for Tech levels which are combined with A levels, advanced apprenticeships- level 3 or do A levels in maths, physics or engineering.

At 18 this is where higher level apprenticeships or university come into the horizon. There are higher level apprenticeships- levels 4-5, degree level apprenticeships- levels 6-7 and then there is also the option of studying an engineering-based subject at university.

With all that in mind there are a number of reasons as to why you should enter the sector of engineering. You are not confined as to how you enter the career; the process is very diverse, and you can choose a form of education that suits you.

At Stirling Warrington we offer a FREE career consultation service, if you are looking to enter the world of engineering or are looking to progress your career within engineering please don’t hesitate to give us a call