Is An Apprenticeship Considered Work Experience?

There are people who say that working as an apprentice shouldn’t count as work experience because they’re “in training” for the duration of your qualification and it isn’t really work.

In my humble opinion, this is hogwash, hooey, poppycock, the stuff of nonsense…. Okay, I think you understand I’m not a fan of that opinion.

Of course, I appreciate that learning fundamental principles of a role is important, and this needs to be done before you become a fully-fledged member of the team, but that doesn’t automatically disqualify you from your experience does it?

Logically speaking, working as an apprentice is the perfect way to start a career or even switch to another career, getting into employment earlier means there’s lots of potential for you to progress in your career quickly. You can also begin to earn a good salary much earlier on in your life.

As well as the above benefits it also offers an opportunity for the apprentice to be paid whilst they learn the ropes, to prove they’re hungry for a new challenge and to gain good experience in the industry without the fear of employers closing doors with the old saying;

“you can’t get a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job.” 

Apprentices do a proper job. They work in business alongside knowledgeable staff and complete actual work; this could be anything from childcare to fitness, working in an office or even joining the NHS. Working in a real profession gives apprentices the breaks they need to learn job-specific skills, as well as transferable abilities like time management or teamwork. Apprentices usually attend formal training with a training organisation, to gain a related qualification. Normally this would be built into the working day and will allow for specific on-the-job training.

It’s important for employers to understand; the more you put into your apprentice, the more you will get out. An apprentice is there to learn, which gives them chance to ask lots of questions, try new things, meet new people and see things that interest them, it also offers a dedicated employer a great opportunity to “grow your own” talent without the costly recruitment fees associated with bringing in older more experienced staff.

Where can I look for a suitable apprenticeship?

Head to our website and browse through our existing vacancies, or alternatively, get in touch with our Career Connect team on 0800 7563985 and have a chat about how we support you into developing you or your business with apprenticeships.