Your Career. Our Priority.
Apprenticeships have changed A LOT as more young professionals and future leaders choose an apprenticeship over other, more traditional, further education routes. The journey they all go on changes. The typical benefits of earning an income while learning, training during your work week and developing a professional network are only part of that journey.
One of the things we enjoy the most at EMA Training, is seeing friendship groups form, and the ‘University experience’ that everybody talks about, becoming the ‘Apprenticeship experience’. Swap debt for a salary, all-day theory, for practical knowledge, skills and theory combined, all whilst learning alongside friends.
We spoke to Ryan, who said, ‘With these two, I consider them people I can trust and always go to.’ Mo, Ryan and Raj, started their AAT Level 3 Accountancy Apprenticeships at our Derby Hub a couple of years ago and have now all progressed onto Level 4. After finding common ground over Jake Paul and a love of boxing in their first class together, they quickly became a close-knit group. They moved from a weekly catch-up whilst at EMA, to playing PlayStation together as well as parties and other social events.
When talking about the impact having friends around you has, Mo said ‘If you are not comfortable talking straight to the teacher, when you’ve got a friend doing the exact same thing you can talk straight to them to help with understanding and stuff”.
When asked about how they decided to do an apprenticeship, Raj said, ‘I applied to Uni but I didn’t want to go uni. You know, when you go in 6th form, teachers and stuff literally make you do it, but I didn’t want to do it.’
There are so many different options when it comes to developing yourself and your skills, so don’t be afraid to explore all of them and the benefits of each. The experience Mo, Ryan and Raj had when finding an apprenticeship varied for each. Mo applied through the Government website, Ryan applied via Indeed and Raj applied via the EMA website. All of them had calls with the EMA recruitment team before being added into our poll of candidates.
Mo said: “I got two offers from 3 interviews. Yeah, I thought the recruitment process was so easy, I’m not even just saying this now. It sounds like I’m on bribe or something!”
The apprenticeship experience isn’t always what you think, even Raj “always thought apprenticeships were just work, I didn’t realise you did training on the job”. On top of the professional training towards industry recognised qualification, you’ll make friendships which will “make studying enjoyable” and you’ll learn and hear experiences from other industries to give you a wider knowledge of your industry.
Ryan said, “Even hearing Raj and Mo talking about their work, you can balance it and talk to each other to help. We all work in completely different industries, so hearing it from all sides helps for sure”.
As our discussion came to an end, Mo summed apprenticeships up, “Because this is just the start, when you finish your apprenticeship, then you’ve got your whole career ahead of you”.
Apprenticeships offer you professional and life experiences which will shape your future, usually for the better. Starting your journey with like-minded people will make your apprenticeship unique and a chapter to remember forever.
If you’re leaving school and looking for your next opportunity, we’d love to chat with you about your goals and help you understand apprenticeships better. Our Hubs are based in the heart of Derby, Leicester and Nottingham, making them ideally located, whether you drive, take the bus or train. Plus, each city has loads of different food and shopping options if you wish you venture out during your lunch.
