How to Make the Most of Your Apprenticeship
Becoming an apprentice is a valuable move in a young persons’ career, allowing you to learn from industry experts alongside formal education. But knowing how to make the most of your apprenticeship, and squeezing everything you can from the opportunity is what makes the real difference.
As most apprentices are new to the working world, they may not know all the tricks for getting ahead in their career. Following these tips will help you make a mark on the company you’re learning with, and succeed in your industry.
How to Make the Most of Your Apprenticeship
1. Ask Questions, Listen, and Show Willingness to Learn
Apprenticeships allow you to learn directly from skilled workers with decades of experience and industry expertise.
Throughout your apprenticeship, actively listen to your colleagues, ask questions every day and learn how they do things.
The senior team at Hythe Engineering fully recognises the importance of training the next generation of workers.
Hythe’s Senior Weld Inspector commented, “The younger generation is the future of Hythe Engineering. We’ve got to try and push the younger generation. If you didn’t have the youngsters coming through and learning the skills of the trades, the company would crumble.”
2. Accept and Go After Every Available Opportunity
As well as your apprenticeship qualifications, there will most likely be other certifications you can go after. This could be driving lessons, a new skill within your own trade, or a qualification for a separate trade.
Saying yes to every available opportunity will ensure you complete your apprenticeship with well-rounded knowledge, and the documentation to go with it.
“We strive to make an apprenticeship unique within the group of companies. We have numerous trades and believe that an apprentice should spend time across all skill sets. By the end of an apprenticeship, each student should have a primary and secondary trade with the ability, if required, to touch on other skill sets to ensure the business can keep the teams dynamic. We believe in keeping the workforce engaged and constantly developing. Carrying out an apprenticeship within Hythe Engineering turns the students into invaluable members of the business and extremely employable to the industry if they choose to move on.”
– Josh Mathias, CEO of Hythe Engineering.
Wondering what an apprenticeship at Hythe Engineering is like? Check out this interview with one of Hythe’s very first apprentices: A Careers Starter: Hythe Engineering Apprenticeship Scheme
3. Positive Attitude and Self-Confidence
Stepping into an unfamiliar environment where you’re starting from scratch is daunting.
As an apprentice, people aren’t expecting you to go into the job knowing exactly what to do. Many of the workers started as apprentices themselves, so they’re fully aware things can get confusing, and tiring, and apprentices will make mistakes.
Remember that things can and will go wrong. What shows real determination is maintaining a positive attitude in the face of adversity.
Being confident, polite and friendly to your colleagues shows that you’re there to learn and you’ll quickly become a crucial part of the team.
4. Be Proactive About Your Mistakes
When something goes wrong, proactively resolve the issue and find out what caused it.
Failing should be a positive experience, you need to make mistakes, learn rejection, learn from re-work and difficult situations. It’s not just about a skill; it’s about interaction, communication and behaviour.
On your learning journey, it’s completely expected that you’ll make mistakes. Admitting when you’ve gone wrong and learning how to fix the problem for the next time is one of the best ways to learn.
And if you’re not sure why the problem occurred, ask a senior employee the following questions:
- What might have caused it
- How to avoid it
- How to fix it
Apprenticeship FAQs
How to Find an Apprenticeship?
- Apply directly with a company – Hythe Engineering has an internal application process
- Through your school or college
- Through UCAS: UCAS Apprenticeship Finder
- Search through the government website: Find an apprenticeship with gov.uk
Can You Get an Apprenticeship With No Experience?
In most cases, no formal experience is required as apprentices will usually be coming straight from education. In England, apprenticeships use a Level system to determine the education requirements for a particular apprenticeship. Almost all apprenticeships will require GCSEs, and you may be required to have A-Levels or a full or partial degree for some higher-level apprenticeships.
That’s a wrap on our tips for How to Make the Most of Your Apprenticeship!
Interested in becoming a Hythe Engineering apprentice? Head to our Apprentice page here for more information: Hythe Engineering Apprenticeships