Reach your #futuregoals.
How will you reach your #futuregoals?
Should I start an apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are available in over 170 industry sectors, covering over 1,500 job roles. Many large national and local employers in Leeds City Region recruit apprentices including Nestle, Network Rail, PwC, NHS, Covea, Reliance Engineering and Sulzer Pumps.
Apprenticeships last for at least 12 months and are available from intermediate level GCSE equivalent qualifications, right up to degree level.
Apprentices are employed and earn a wage throughout their training and the employer funds the cost of the qualifications including a university degree.
The current minimum wage rate for apprentices is £3.70 per hour, this rate applies to apprentices under 19 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year. If you have completed your first year and are over the age of 19, you must be paid at least the minimum wage rate for your age.
You will be paid for your normal working hours and any training you do as part of your apprenticeship (usually one day per week).
Should I go to university or college?
There are 9 universities and 14 higher education colleges here in Leeds City Region, so if you don’t want to move away from home there are still lots of options for you.
You can get many qualifications at university including, Under Graduate Degree, Post Graduate Degree, Masters or a PHD. Depending on what career path you take you may decide a Post Graduate Degree is enough. You can go to university at any age and some people go back a lot later in life if they either want to retrain, change their career or simply learn more.
It’s all about skills
Whichever job you choose, it’s important to have transferable skills, as they are needed in all types of jobs.
There are lots of ways to learn these skills, you may have many of them already.
Having a part time job, volunteering or being part of a club are all great ways to develop transferable skills. Or you could practice writing a report on how your day went, or help organise a family party, or sign up to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or give a presentation at school.
How many of the following skills and positive attitudes do you have already? Why not tick them off as you achieve them?
- Communication – writing, listening and speaking
- Making decisions
- Showing commitment or accepting responsibility
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Time management
- Leadership skills
- Creativity and problem solving
- Team work and co-operation with others
- Enterprise
- Can work under pressure
- Well organised
- Resilience
- Aspiration
- Informed – do you research
- Confidence and self belief
- Motivated
- Enthusiastic
- ‘Can do’ attitude
- Reliable and dependable
- Willing to learn
- Positive outlook
- Experience – part time working or volunteering
