Monday 9th March 2015 marks the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week in the UK. The week aims to help both businesses and young people aware of the mutual benefits apprentice programmes can bring.
Reconnix has benefitted greatly from apprenticeship programmes and we’ve helped to build careers for many young people over the years.
University is a great opportunity for many, especially those with a clear goal post-qualification. If a young person has their hearts set on medicine, architecture or engineering then it’s absolutely the right path. However, there are many reasons why university might not be a suitable option for a number of school leavers:
- Not everyone is academically focused
- Some have a more practical mindset
- The cost is prohibitive.
Apprenticeships provide an opportunity for young people to develop their skills while in paid employment. Getting to grips with practical skills on the job is one of the best ways to learn. It can be rewarding for both the apprentice and employer alike.
We hired our first apprentice at Reconnix seven years ago, Chris Davidson. Chris is now our Operations Technical Lead – a highly respected and core member of our team, his success encouraged us to take on more apprentices.
My time as an apprentice has flown by. But, I suppose time flies when you’re enjoying yourself. Seriously, if you are at that age when you are ready to leave school and are wondering what to do next, I highly recommend that you consider an apprenticeship as an option. Being an apprentice enabled me to learn skills which are industry recognise, earn a wage, and become a valuable member of staff for Reconnix.
Our apprenticeship scheme has evolved and is highly regarded. Our apprentices are trained to the highest standard through the Linux Professional Institute the Linux Academy as well as locally sourced core-skills courses. They are shadowed by our expert technicians, giving them valuable training from installing their own desktop to installing test servers. Additionally, they are given time for self-directed learning.
The two apprentices with us now are currently showing great promise and are becoming reliable technicians – already proving great value to the team.
So, what is the one way in which businesses can contribute to National Apprenticeship Week? Simple. We encourage all businesses to take on apprentices. This will help remove the stigma around not going to university. UK PLC is missing a huge raft of talent out there – all that is needed is to give them a chance.
So if you can, open that position now. There is nothing more rewarding than helping someone out at the start of their career and watching them develop into an invaluable asset to your business. We should know.
How will you be contributing to National Apprenticeship Week? Let us know, leave a comment below. 
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