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Tanzania 9th February 2022
Apprenticeship Myths, Busted!
Apprenticeships aren’t what they used to be. The days of limited opportunities, being surrounded by people who look nothing like you and having to hear the kind of jokes that were barely funny in the 80s are long gone.
At Vodafone, Apprenticeships are so much more. That's why we caught up with Global Apprentice and Youth Experience Lead, Catherine to bust the myths surrounding apprenticeship and show how they are a valuable opportunity for our future talent.
1. Apprenticeships are only for school leavers.
Whilst it’s a brilliant alternative route for school leavers when considering their post-school options, Apprenticeships can be undertaken at any age. They’re a perfect opportunity to re-train and get a foot into a brand new area. Over 25% of our Apprentices are 25 and over.
2. There isn’t an Apprenticeship for me.
Currently there are over 640 apprenticeships approved for delivery in the UK, 160+ being digital and STEM related. From Submarine Engineering to Data Scientist, there’s an option for most!
3. University offers better prospects.
Apprenticeships are a great alternative for those considering university, they offer fully funded qualifications from NQVs to Bachelor and Masters Degrees, combined with doing a real, impactful job immediately related to your field of study. Free degree, a salary, a large network and 3 - 4 years of work experience? What’s not to love?!
4. ‘Apprentices make cups of tea’.
Apprentices are fully fledged members of their team with real responsibility and accountability. For example one of our Cyber Security Managers quoted ‘without our Apprentice, the team would be lost’, and one of our Software Apprentices is a founding member of the Front End Software Engineering guild.
