{"id":29035,"date":"2025-02-07T14:44:31","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T14:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.systra.com\/uk\/?post_type=expert_insights&p=29035"},"modified":"2025-02-07T15:36:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T15:36:26","slug":"apprenticeships-the-key-to-professional-and-personal-growth","status":"publish","type":"expert_insights","link":"https:\/\/www.systra.com\/uk\/expert_insights\/apprenticeships-the-key-to-professional-and-personal-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Apprenticeships – the key to professional and personal growth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the UK, <\/strong>statistics show<\/strong><\/a> a 0.7% increase in those starting apprenticeships in the 2023\/24 academic year compared to the year before, and more significantly an increase of 8.2% for higher apprenticeships. With apprenticeships increasing in popularity, Senior Early Careers Talent Advisor, Annabel Snowden, explores the value of this pathway and shares her inside take on the esteemed apprenticeship experience at SYSTRA.<\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why are so many people now choosing to undertake apprenticeships?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s no secret that apprenticeships provide an opportunity to gain on-the-job practical experience and job-specific skills alongside industry qualifications. But, there\u2019s a lot more to the pathway, and many reasons why they\u2019re such an excellent way of learning and beginning a career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Within my role I\u2019ve witnessed first-hand the impact apprenticeships can have on the confidence and adaptability of early careers<\/a> professionals. I\u2019ve watched many of the apprentices at SYSTRA build and excel in the development of soft skills like communication, teamwork and leadership. Within the engineering and consultancy industry in particular, effective collaboration and problem-solving is fundamental, so the fast growth of these interpersonal skills is really important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many university courses offer and encourage work placement initiatives. There\u2019s nothing quite like getting stuck into the realities of an industry, making a real-world impact, and finding your feet amongst other professionals at a variety of career stages. Apprenticeships take this a step further. Apprentices can build an invaluable network of professional contacts and mentors before they\u2019ve completed their studies. Colleagues can support them, be honest about workplace expectations and standards, and share years of industry experience and lessons learned. In-turn, experienced professionals often value working alongside apprentices who bring fresh, new, innovative ideas to the table. This knowledge sharing and ingenuity is crucial within our industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It can be a struggle to transition between full-time study and full-time work life. Sometimes the realities of an industry can be unexpected, the style of working environment may not be a good fit, in fact a dream career could even come into question. Apprentices avoid this confusion, often taking the opportunity to rotate disciplines within an industry and chat to colleagues about what really suits them, all before they\u2019re fully left the structure of education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And, apprenticeships aren\u2019t just for those kickstarting their working lives. They\u2019re also an excellent option for career changers looking to explore a new field without the financial worries which may come from full-time study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apprenticeships at SYSTRA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We understand recruiting and retaining the most talented people is a vital part of delivering on our reputation for excellence and innovation across our markets and services. As such, every year we strive to take on apprentices across the majority of our key disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In engineering, our apprentices get to work on conventional<\/a> or high-speed rail<\/a> projects; light rail<\/a>, underground or metro<\/a> projects; bridges<\/a> and highways<\/a> infrastructure; energy<\/a>; security; or built environment developments. And in consultancy, there\u2019s plenty of opportunities in urban<\/a> and railway transportation, civil infrastructure, buildings, and urban and regional planning projects for public or private-sector clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This variety is fundamental and inherent to our apprenticeship programmes, but it\u2019s really the apprentice experience that matters to us the most. We want our apprentices to be with us in the long-term, so our apprenticeship offering reflects this value. My team works hard to ensure the business offers meaningful career pathways, with real development, growth and high-profile project opportunities, based on performance and skills. We\u2019re all about inspiring the next generation of professionals, budding innovators and thought leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can hear directly from our apprentices on their career journeys and time at SYSTRA in our early careers profiles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We offer two apprenticeship paths, both of which allow for 20% learning time and 80% on-the-job experience: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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