AN APPRENTICESHIP IS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS:

It’s a job and school. 

Mostly though it’s a great career opportunity. Apprenticeship training is an excellent way to prepare yourself for the future with on-the-job training in high demand jobs.  An apprenticeship is a paid job. Someone who is new to the field (the apprentice) learns the skills needed for the job. Apprentices are trained by journeyman and master craftsmen who are experts in their filed. They share their skills and knowledge to help the apprentice become an expert too.

An apprenticeship is also school.  Apprenticeships include classroom  lessons to make sure the apprentice masters all aspects of the job.

Negative perceptions and attitudes about Registered Apprenticeship have been around for years. They have bred many myths that discourage young people from making Registered Apprenticeship their first career option.  But don’t be fooled any longer. Here are four common myths and realities about Registered Apprenticeship.

4 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP

1.  Apprenticeships are not for students that get good grades….

This is simply not true and is probably the most common misperception about Registered Apprenticeship.  The reality is that apprenticeship requires individuals with a STRONG academic foundation in reading, writing, science and especially math.
Like graduating college, successfully completing an apprenticeship takes intelligence, dedication, focus and hard work.  Apprentices are regularly called upon to perform a range of complex tasks, such as:

• Following complicated blueprints for building an office tower
• Analyzing various elements (such as weather conditions, weight and distance) while operating heavy machinery
• Identifying the potential volume of water and its resulting pressure when installing a sewage system.

2.  College is the ONLY path to a good career…

Achieving an Apprenticeship Certificate of Completion is also a ticket to a good future.  Once you complete your apprenticeship program you may have the opportunity for advancement from supervisory positions, to management positions or to possibly owing your own business. Your options are limitless.

3.  Apprenticeship occupations are dirty, noisy and physically demanding…

There is no doubt that many occupations involve “hands-on” training.  This is why many people choose those occupations in the first place.  For many “hands-on” work is far more rewarding than a job that requires a lot of desk work.
That said, technology has greatly changed the face of many trades.  Today, an increasing amount of mechanical equipment is operated with the aid of computer software.  Therefore, more and more trade workers work indoors, using sophisticated computer equipment and technology.  For example, it’s not uncommon for an auto service technician to turn on a diagnostic computer before sticking his or her head under the hood of a car.

4.  Women do not have the physical strength to work as an apprentice in the trades.

Physical work does not solely imply strength.  IN fact, skilled trades required dexterity, stamina, good hand-eye coordination and balance – all attributes that women equally posses along with men.