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Interested in an Apprenticeship but concerned about my Employability

I'm working towards my level 3 qualification (BTEC IT) which ends this year, but I'm concerned that I will not be able to get an apprenticeship for three reasons:

a) Social Skills: Employers are obviously looking for socially adept candidates with good communication skills and who can collaborate with others. I do possess some of these traits but I've been in a slump due to some issues like anxiety and don't feel like I can present the best or most employable version of myself at an interview or work environment.

b) Competition: There are many more candidates out there, especially some with much more work experience and many more projects to their name, I feel like I will be overlooked in favour of people with more experience

c) Negative Experience with Assessment Centre: I applied at a major company before my level 3 qualification, I got rejected despite feeling very confident about my performance and didn't get any feedback. I feel like I am overestimating my worth by applying.

Is there any advice I can get on this, Thanks.

Reply 1

Honeycglover

Personally, no. I was in college and swapped to the apprenticeship equivalent of my course and I can only say no - not only am I assessed on my capabilities but my relationship with employees. Being autistic this is an area of increased difficulty.

Apprentice mentors and employers do not accept their roles to support apprentices but to achieve the aim of the organisation (for me, early years education). So the support is quite poor. It’s the worse case scenario between being treated as though you know nothing but are expected to act as though you are fully qualified at the same time. Make it make sense.

That said I receive great support from my training provider - however my employer expects me to engage in many on the job tasks then pesters me as to why my assignments aren’t done yet.

Most of all, apprenticeships are a big strain on mental health and this is why I’m looking at an (unpaid) break in learning. It’s difficult to handle and frankly made me suicidal. Apprenticeships have the opportunity to be great, but need major reform. Go to uni, work in McDonald’s get some industry experience through volunteering. Honestly, do anything else.

Also - your apprenticeship can’t be IT related as the government won’t fund it. I was openly encouraged to lie in my assessment for prior learning and have my individual learning needs ignored, routinely, by my employer.