Start apprenticeship or stay at Sixth Form?

Complete sixth form, then get an apprenticeship if thats what you want to do.

Just so you have the backup of A Levels if you want to do a FT degree in the future.

Reply 6

OP

[INDENT]

Original post by mike101

Complete sixth form, then get an apprenticeship if thats what you want to do.

Just so you have the backup of A Levels if you want to do a FT degree in the future.

I'm currently doing a BTEC Level 3 in IT at Sixth Form (would of preferred to do A levels but didn't enrol til late October so I would of bin too far behind) what do you think I should do now I am in that position?

Reply 7

Balloon Baboon

19

Do the apprenticeship and gain the experiance.

Reply 8

Original post by lew-hand

[INDENT]

I'm currently doing a BTEC Level 3 in IT at Sixth Form (would of preferred to do A levels but didn't enrol til late October so I would of bin too far behind) what do you think I should do now I am in that position?

It's a difficult one, a good apprenticeship will set you up with better qualifications than you are doing now should you want to go to uni.

It's really up to you.

You really need to look into the apprenticeship, 9 months seems very short, is a job guaranteed at the end? What qualifications will it give you that are industry standard? If a job is guaranteed what are the prospects for development? You may end up on a help desk with no progression available.

A good apprenticeship should take 4 years, I'd be wary of a 9 month one tbh.

As for the OU degree, do you believe you have enough self motivation to complete one? I know I wouldn't, which is one of the reasons why at the end of my apprenticeship I'm going to go full time University.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 9

TheNightmare

Personally I prefer doing a-levels and studying at university because you get to experience a new life, make new friends etc. But if it is a good apprenticeship then I would go for it, you will be more likely to get a job whilst doing an apprenticeship but from family and friends I've seen that a good degree can get you a better job, higher salary but it is hard to get a job in the first place. I do not know many people who do an apprenticeship but what I can say is going to university and doing a worthwhile degree can get you somewhere good and also you have many chances and opportunities to have fun, experience new things and in general to chill out with your friends more often. But these are just my opinions and based on my family and friends so really its up to you.

Reply 10

Dave Cole

I have been thinking about whether to do an apprenticeship as well. With the university cap gone and the governments investments in apprenticeships it seems like the better thing to do. My friends older brother also completed uni a few years ago and supposedly he is finding it hard to get work. It's a difficult one because everyone says how important degrees are but then he can't get a job without experience. I'd say go with the apprenticeship and then think about it after the 9 months (that's what I think I will do). Where did you find that apprenticeship?

Reply 11

OP

Original post by mike101

It's a difficult one, a good apprenticeship will set you up with better qualifications than you are doing now should you want to go to uni.

It's really up to you.

You really need to look into the apprenticeship, 9 months seems very short, is a job guaranteed at the end? What qualifications will it give you that are industry standard? If a job is guaranteed what are the prospects for development? You may end up on a help desk with no progression available.

A good apprenticeship should take 4 years, I'd be wary of a 9 month one tbh.

As for the OU degree, do you believe you have enough self motivation to complete one? I know I wouldn't, which is one of the reasons why at the end of my apprenticeship I'm going to go full time University.

The apprenticeship is nine months be because I go to college on a week on week off basis. I have bin there for a week now but im thinking of going back to Sixth Form because all I've done is sit on eBay all week, they made out they had 3 offices when they only have one so it is only me and one colleague who is thinking of leaving so where does this leave me in terms of training? I'm thinking of going back rather than wait for something else because I don't want to waste SFA funding which could mean I won't be eligable to join any other apprenticeships.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 12

OP

Original post by mike101

It's a difficult one, a good apprenticeship will set you up with better qualifications than you are doing now should you want to go to uni.

It's really up to you.

You really need to look into the apprenticeship, 9 months seems very short, is a job guaranteed at the end? What qualifications will it give you that are industry standard? If a job is guaranteed what are the prospects for development? You may end up on a help desk with no progression available.

A good apprenticeship should take 4 years, I'd be wary of a 9 month one tbh.

As for the OU degree, do you believe you have enough self motivation to complete one? I know I wouldn't, which is one of the reasons why at the end of my apprenticeship I'm going to go full time University.

The apprenticeship is nine months be because I go to college on a week on week off basis. I have bin there for a week now but im thinking of going back to Sixth Form because all I've done is sit on eBay all week, they made out they had 3 offices when they only have one so it is only me and one colleague who is thinking of leaving so where does this leave me in terms of training? I'm thinking of going back rather than wait for something else because I don't want to waste SFA funding which could mean I won't be eligable to join any other apprenticeships.

Also what apprenticeship are you doing aswell?

Reply 13

I'm doing a 4 year electrical/electronic apprenticeship.

If its going bad then go back to college, what qualifications will you gain in 9 months? Not very good ones I'd bet!

Reply 14

Arenthis

Original post by lew-hand

What do you mean by just IT? An apprenticeship is focused on a certain job

JustIT is the name of one of the few IT apprenticeship recruiters. I know three; QA, JustIT and Zenos.

Back to the topic, I'm sort of in the same situation, but what i'm going to do is focus on sixth form and get my A-Levels (that's assuming I pass, haha) and then do an apprenticeship. Luckily, QA have two groups, the 16-18 year olds and the 19-21/23 year olds. I think i'll go into the 16-18 if I apply immediately after college finishes.

Reply 15

OP

Original post by mike101

I'm doing a 4 year electrical/electronic apprenticeship.

If its going bad then go back to college, what qualifications will you gain in 9 months? Not very good ones I'd bet!

The quals are a NVQ L3 comptia++ and another Microsoft cert. I was doing an electrical engineering apprenticeship but got layed off when the work dried up ):.

Reply 16

Clip

19

Everyone I know that took an apprenticeship has never regretted it. Just check how reputable the company is and that there is realistic retention for you at the end.

You can always go back to University, but it's hard to take up apprenticeship when you're older.

I did vocational Electrical Engineering (in the army, not through apprenticeship), and I can tell you without reservation that it saved my bacon as I wasn't really able to do much else, but with a practical qualification and proper work record, I had no problem finding employment - and when I did go back to university, I was able to get part-time work with alarm companies and satellite companies, earning double or triple the general student rate for bar, retail or catering work.

I started my own firm, and trained my own apprentices. Most of them are still with me, but at least two left to start their own businesses and are quite successful.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 17