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Ok, you’ve decided.  Uni is definitely not for you, and you don’t want to just slack off and live with Mum and Dad for the rest of your life.  You’re going to get an apprenticeship.  Or a traineeship.  Well you’ve definitely decided you want one of those two options.  But how are you going to figure out which one you want when the two are almost always grouped together and can seem totally identical?

The most important part of your decision process is understanding the difference between apprenticeships and traineeships and that’s not always easy to do.  But there are a couple of ways to distinguish the two, and these slight differences might show you whether you’d prefer to be an apprentice or  trainee.

Apprenticeships are more trade-focused.  That is to say, after being a full-time apprentice for a certain period of time, usually between three or four years, you will have learnt a trade, which you will then be able to use for various employers (although your apprenticeship will give you many customers right from the beginning.)  Examples of fields in which you can complete an apprenticeship are Electrician, Carpenter, Bricklayer, Mechanic, or Chef.

Traineeships usually cover more non-trade qualifications, often stressing organisation and scheduling know-how.  They take less time than apprenticeships to complete; a full-time trainee will have concluded his or her traineeship between one and three years.  Your traineeship will make you a likely entry-level candidate at many businesses as you will have proven you have the know-how to manage or help manage many kinds of business operations.  Examples of fields in which you can complete a traineeship are Business Administration, Administrative Assistant, Sales Clerk, or Hospitality Staff.

apprenticepower offers a variety of exciting apprenticeships and traineeships – click here to check out some of our current job vacancies and apply online today!

Photo by Saad.Akhtar