With the 2020 deadline for UCAS undergraduate courses just around the corner, the UK’s leading electrical body is reminding school and college leavers in Scotland that the case for entering a trade vocation as an alternative career path has never been greater.
While going to university to earn a bachelor’s degree remains the most popular education option for school leavers, recent years have seen more students consider apprenticeships amid crippling high tuition costs. However, there is still a job to do in shaking off the inherent image of apprenticeships being akin to low-paid drudgery says NICEIC, the UK’s leading voluntary body for electricians.
Darren Staniforth, Senior Group Technical Presenter at NICEIC comments: “As leading trade companies continue to invest hugely in their Learning & Development strategies, recent years have more higher-level apprenticeships coming on stream – enabling students to learn while they earn while effectively making first steps on a solid, well-paid and rewarding career path.
“In learning to become an electrician, for example, many apprenticeships might go into management or teaching, some might go onto continue their studies – and some might use the skills they have to go off travelling around the world.
“Yet trade apprenticeships are still viewed by some as a third-rate industry for people who do not perform well at school. We want to change that perception and show students what a rewarding and diverse career they can have within the electrical sector.
“As such, as we look towards the pending UCAS deadline entry, we would urge all would-be enrollers to also consider the raft of trade apprenticeships now available to them. University is, after all, not for everyone and is it important that the next generation realise the vast and fruitful opportunities available to them in the trade sector.”
Research by the Federation of Master Builders found that the average salary for electricians across the UK is £47,265; far exceeding the university graduate’s average income of £32,000. Plus, without the added stress of looming debts, apprenticeships are becoming an even more attractive option.
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CASE STUDY
Jake Green (above) from Northampton left school at 16 to start an electrical apprenticeship. After completing his studies he spent several years as an electrician working on domestic and commercial installations. He said: “I was always interested in the way things worked and felt like a trade would really suit my personality. I knew university wasn’t for me. I was happier doing practical work and learning a trade which also allowed me to earn money straight away.” Now aged 27, Jake is a technical presenter for NICEIC delivering talks across the UK to registered electricians. |
You can search for a registered electrical contractor in your area by visiting www.niceic.com
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