Advantages of Apprenticeships 1. Employed and earning a wage Apprentices are ‘real employees’ in that they have the same rights and responsibilities as any other employee. Their level of pay depends on the employer together with the sector they are working in.  However, compared to school or College where they may have to work on an evening or weekend, then on an Apprenticeship they are earning  a wage which can only increase in accordance with their experience. 2. Gaining nationally recognised qualifications All the qualifications are accredited by  awarding bodies such as; City and Guilds, the Association of Accounting Technicians and others. The qualifications are gained in the workplace whilst working with other employees.  Apprentices receive in-house training and support from their employer and receive one to one and off the job training from a YH industry qualified trainer.  They will also be offered the chance of progression onto a higher qualification 3. Trained for the job they are employed to undertake Apprentices are trained gain the skills and knowledge  to perform a valuable position within a company.  So unlike those who stay on and undertake A Levels, they will have gained a qualification that shows that they have the necessary skills to perform their job.  There’s nothing stopping them from progressing from an Intermediate Apprenticeship at Level 2, to an Advanced Apprenticeship at Level 3 or even a Higher Apprenticeship at Level 4. 5. At an Advantage for promotion Their employer has already seen that  their Apprentice is committed to them as a company and to the role they working in.  They see that they are looking to carve and are willing to undertake further training to gain the skills and knowledge to progress within the company. Companies like to promote from within and they like to promote people who are looking to develop their career through skills training and knowledge. 4. Move on to higher qualifications Apprentices, depending on their job role, are able to progress from an Intermediate Apprenticeship to a Higher Apprenticeship which is at a level 4 where, in some in cases, they can undertake units from a degree.  This is when they will have further choices as some employers are happy for them to study for a degree on a part-time basis whilst still working as they realise that they too will reap the benefit.  However, some people who start off on an Apprenticeship decide to go to university full time and by saving some of their wages realise that they aren’t going to accumulate as much debt as they could have should they have gone down the ‘more traditional Uni route’ YH Training Services Ltd (2011) Head Office, 37-39 Falsgrave  Rd, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 5EA Reg in England 1874612