Is an apprenticeship suitable for me??

I had tried to enroll onto a PGCE course (25/26) but long story short, my student finance got rejected so that's off the table now - plus it's a bit too late to start interviewing for another one again.

Ideally my choice career is teaching, but I might settle for working at a nursery or something similar.

Since I can't get student finance, the position I want would have to be paid, which is what led me to look at apprenticeships. I'm looking at level 3 Childcare or something similar.

I'm just wondering what the process is like for apprenticeships, I have a few main questions:
• Is it like a normal job application?
• Will I be eligible? (I have a degree already)
• How competitive is it?
• Can I apply for more than one and give myself choices or do I have to commit to one application?

I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here as this is a backup plan for me, so any help would be greatly appreciated! :smile:

Reply 1

LapizLearner

Its very very competitive, at least it was for me. there were 85 applicants per role but again I was applying to one of the most prestigious engineering firms in the world, I doubt your position will be as competitive. It is just like a job interview and job application. Apply to as many as you can (but always tailor your CV to the role makes a massive difference) if you have a degree you should be eligible for level 4 but I would suggest a Level 3

Reply 2

UniLancashire

Official Rep

Original post

by Eleanorld

I had tried to enroll onto a PGCE course (25/26) but long story short, my student finance got rejected so that's off the table now - plus it's a bit too late to start interviewing for another one again.
Ideally my choice career is teaching, but I might settle for working at a nursery or something similar.
Since I can't get student finance, the position I want would have to be paid, which is what led me to look at apprenticeships. I'm looking at level 3 Childcare or something similar.
I'm just wondering what the process is like for apprenticeships, I have a few main questions:
• Is it like a normal job application?
• Will I be eligible? (I have a degree already)
• How competitive is it?
• Can I apply for more than one and give myself choices or do I have to commit to one application?
I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here as this is a backup plan for me, so any help would be greatly appreciated! :smile:

Hi @Eleanorld,
It’s great that you’re thinking about apprenticeships.

You will be eligible to complete an apprenticeship if it is in a different subject area to your degree – please check individual apprenticeship eligibility requirements for more details.

You can typically apply for apprenticeships either directly through the employer or via a provider. I completed my degree apprenticeship with the University of Central Lancashire and I applied directly to the employer, which was very much like a normal job application and interview. Apprenticeships can be competitive, degree apprenticeships can be particularly competitive due to the benefits such as getting paid whilst you study, but I wouldn’t let this stop you from applying.

You can absolutely apply for more than one apprenticeship at one time. My advice would be to tailor your application to each vacancy and consider if it’s a position that you could really see yourself doing.
You can find out more about degree apprenticeships with the University of Central Lancashire here: https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/degree-apprenticeships

If you’re open to other apprenticeship (e.g. you mention Level 3), you can take a look at Training 2000 who work with the University, though they don't currently offer childcare apprenticeships: https://www.training2000.co.uk/ or the Government ‘Find and apprenticeship’ webpage might be a good place to start for all apprenticeships in your area: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks, Helena (former Digital Marketing degree apprentice with the University of Central Lancashire)

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