So you’re coming up to the end of your GCSEs, and you’ve got a decision to make: “what am I going to do next?”
Luckily, you’ve got a lot of options open to you.
Your first option is that you could carry on at school and go to college or sixth form, get more qualifications and then make a decision. Perhaps you get to the end of that and decide that you want to go to university. But then you’re not getting into work until you’re 21 and by then you’ll have student loan fees to pay back.
Your second option is that you could leave school, head out into the world of work and get a job somewhere and start making some money. But without qualifications that employers want, you might find it difficult to make yourself stand out.
But what if you could have the best of both worlds? What if you could earn while you learn?
Your third option is just that – your third option is an apprenticeship.
As an apprentice you’ll be given the chance to learn your craft while you work. This means you'll build up valuable on-the-job experience, knowledge and skills, gain nationally recognised qualifications and all the while earn money. You’ll be doing a real job for a real employer, proving yourself to them and showcasing all that you have to offer. So if you impress, who knows where you could end up!
And if you want a job in house building, this is an excellent way of getting one. House builders all over the country either run their own apprenticeship schemes, or do so through a third party such as a sub-contractor or college.
Starting salaries are between £9.5k and £18k, and if you do well and make your mark you could move on to bigger and better things, such as being a trainee site manager earning over £20k per year!
There are loads of different types of apprenticeships on offer too. So if you’re good with your hands you might look into joinery or bricklaying. But if you’re more comfortable behind a desk, there are technical apprenticeships across all the different departments of a house builder.
So if you want to earn while you learn, develop skills for life, and help build the homes of the future, become a house building apprentice and start building the foundations of your career.
