Looking at apprenticeships (at 30)

[kieranv]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if I need advice here or not but I feel like i need to run some things past some people.

I've been looking at a change in career for a while, currently I'm working in retail earning a poorly sum for someone of my age (currently on £17,500pa) with no chances to learn or progress, it's become stale.
So I'm contemplating getting out and doing an apprenticeship in something I enjoy learning and can progress in.

I have already been offered a place on one apprenticeship scheme starting in September with a great company doing something which I reckon I can excel at. However, the offer on the table is £13,300 for the first year. It's a 3 year scheme which by the end of I can hopefully be on around £25k or so with some opportunities for quick progression.

I always knew I was going to have to deal with a drop in salary when looking at this type of job but that is quite a drop. I guess the question here is, is it the done thing to negotiate salary with an apprenticeship scheme? Or just accept it for the first year knowing it'll increase to at least nat min wage for second year and beyond/

Looking at income calculators it looks like I'll only be £200 worse off per month so although the drop from £17.5k to £13.3k seems massive, it's not actually the end of the world. I could probably cope for a year on that. The other option is to get an extra Saturday job to make up the extra as the combined hours between apprenticeship and part time job would make up to my current hours so hopefully not feel too much.

Does this sound like a sensible option, or is there something obvious that I'm missing from my thinking?

 

[Delvis]

Do it now if you are going to do, I sometimes wonder about doing similar to train out of IT but the drop from sub 25k would kill me if it was a 10k odd drop per annum.

If you can work out what you'll earn incrementally then you can work out your finances, if you can and prior to doing the course save everything you can and be a complete hermit untilll the start date to help you, cut back on everything.

Take a leap as it sounds you aren't overly happy atm and no point going further up the chain you're in now if it's only going to get worse.

 

[bakes0310]

I finished my 1 year apprenticeship last month on 14k which was a pay rise from my previous job on 12k I'm 32. If you can afford to do it just get on and do it if it's something that will make you happier.

 

[explicit4u]

Whats the apprenticeship?

There seems to be very little consistency with how much they pay, I've seen helpdesk apprenticeships from £8k all the way up to around £18k. If it's a perfect fit, i.e good progression, support, company, networking etc. then take the hit, if not shop around for similar positions that pay better.

Also fyi there is a learning element to an apprenticeship so picking up a second job would mean juggling your 9-5, studying, and your other job.

 

[kieranv]

Whats the apprenticeship?

There seems to be very little consistency with how much they pay, I've seen helpdesk apprenticeships from £8k all the way up to around £18k. If it's a perfect fit, i.e good progression, support, company, networking etc. then take the hit, if not shop around for similar positions that pay better.

Also fyi there is a learning element to an apprenticeship so picking up a second job would mean juggling your 9-5, studying, and your other job.

It's motor mechanics, currently I'm a bicycle mechanic and I've been working on cars for all of my adult life so it's not something I'm completely new to. Hopefully I'll pick most things up pretty quickly but I'll definitely be going into it with an open mind as no doubt I'll have picked up some bad habits through all my years of self taught mechanics!

I've accepted to offer now, start in September, time to start saving!

 

[bol]

Decent vehicle technicians are becoming rarer these days. I'm in my late forties and our youngest member of staff is 28. If you're skilled and conscientious you can earn some good money in the motor trade. Consider moving up to commercial vehicles for some better pay (40k+ pa). Commercial vehicle techs are earning more due to the reliance on technology these days, ie: euro6 emissions, Ebs, lane assist, sidescan , adaptive cruise. Soon will be platooning and electric propulsion to deal with.
Good luck with your chosen career.

 

[sigma]

I doubt you can negotiate, is it an official scheme? With college certs etc? There have been some dubious schemes in recent times where people are just using it for cheap labour with little actual development.

 

[kieranv]

Cheers for the replies guys, as above, I've accepted the position on the scheme I was offered starting in September.

The company itself is massive with one of the largest fleets in the uk, from cars up to lgv's. I'll have the option to move up to commercial vehicles once I've finished my 3 years on light vehicles, also got the option of a 4th year doing a master tech.

Looking forward to getting started!

 

[Kol]

Good choice - also, three years is nothing. As you get older you look back and think, "bugger if only I'd done it when I thought about it, it'd be done now"