Why College Is the Best Route to Apprenticeships

Industry and business in the Middle Ages was dominated by a system of specialized craft guilds. A master craftsman would take on a young apprentice in a mutually-agreed upon contract where the apprentice would get formal training in a craft, as well as food and lodging, in exchange for helping the master craftsman with his business. Eventually, the apprentice would become their own master craftsman and pass on their knowledge and skill to future apprentices.

Today, the apprenticeship system has evolved, but the foundations are still the same. By becoming an apprentice with a company that can provide the environment and situations necessary for a complete training, the apprentice gets the best 'hands-on' work experience there is. But while one can pursue work as an apprentice on their own, there are certain definite advantages to enrolling in a college with an attached apprenticeship program.

Best of Both Worlds

Firstly, a combined college course with an apprenticeship program provides the student with the best of both worlds simultaneously. While learning the necessary theoretical side in a classroom, you can immediately put to practice that education in the real world. Some colleges have simulated hands-on training as part of their course, but the spontaneous situations and problems that arise on real jobs are a much more efficient way to mastering all the ins and outs of an industry.

Getting Your Feet Wet Before the Swim

Secondly, and related to the first advantage, is the general background you get from a college that an apprenticeship program may not have the time to teach. Apprenticeships are often very specific, for example, doing an automotive apprenticeship specifically for auto-body repairs. But you may want to work in automotive repairs without being sure about either auto-body repairs or engine mechanics. In a college setting, the student can have a taste of the industry as a whole before choosing a specialized part of an industry in which to become an apprentice.

Added Advantage

Finally, it could be difficult for an autonomous apprentice-seeker to get a position with the best companies working in an industry. Doing an apprenticeship program though a college means taking advantage of all the resources the college has to help you along. Many colleges and trade schools have tie-ins to the industries for which they are preparing future workers. Also, companies will be more likely to take on apprentices who have taken the time to get a college background in the field, and even more likely if these companies have good past relationships with the candidates provided them by the colleges.

There are circumstances, however, where one can begins seeking an apprenticeship even before college. Many provinces in Canada give students the opportunity to register as apprentices while finishing high school. Apprenticeships in Ontario, for example, have an excellent Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program to help young people learn about the process and get them started early.

However quickly you want to kick-start your apprenticeship, take the time to research college programs and the resources they offer when embarking on this career-making educational path.


Article Source: hMichael Zunenshine