Computing Apprenticeship Good/Bad?

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Hi my name is Chris and as you can guess im new here. I have reading the topics on this forum and love some if the discussions that are going on.

There are a couple of questions that I would like to ask.

1. When I finish my A levels (AGCE Applied ICT & BTEC Business Studies) is it a good idea to start an apprenticeship, and are the apprenticeships with Microsoft partners any good.
2. Not be big headed but in the future I would like to be earning the best wage I possibly can in my field, now I know that would most definitely take years to achieve and will have to be in some sort of management/team leader role. But my question is that is this possible when starting from an apprenticeship, or will I be stuck in some of support role for the rest of my career.
Just to point out I have a keen interest in networking especially install and configuring network systems, which I did on some work experience with a local computer company.

Now this might sound a little cheeky and Im not sure if I am aloud to do this but I have been creating a small website for one of my A level projects and we need to gather some feedback on the site, however Facebook hasn’t given me much hope so far, It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could take a look over it and provide some critical feedback using the feedback form on the website.

Website: http://airsportslaw.wbsict.org.uk

Thanks very much.

Regards
Chris Hinds

 

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1. Any experience is always good experience, as far as apprenticeships are concerned they are making a come back and that can only be a good thing, I would say go for it.

2. It's not being big headed because that 'should' be the aim of every one out there, not just IT bods but EVERYONE but you do have to understand that it will take years.

As far as career progression is concerned, you are in control of that and it's your decision whether you are stuck in a support role or not. As far as being a manager\team leader to be a good earner, that's actually not the case, it's the type of work you do that determines the kind of money you can earn. In the positions I work in I am not a manager or team leader, I am however earning decent money, why?? because the experience and roles I undertake determine how much I am worth.

Btw it's allowed rather than aloud (yoof of today!!).

 

Hi thanks very much for your reply, and I will be sure to correct spelling errors next time.

Does anyone here have any experience of an apprenticeships that they like to share?

Regards
Chris

 

I am currently on an IT Apprenticeship myself. This is my apprenticeship company http://www.nitp.co.uk/
I personally do recommend you get on the apprenticeship program due to the fact you learn much much more than what you would learn on a normal college or school course. My apprenticeship is an intense course, it only lasts 7 months but in those 7 months i can achieve worldwide recognised qualifications. Here they are;

- Diploma in ICT Professional Competence
- Certificate in ICT Systems and Principles
- CompTIA A+ (Recently Achieved!)
- Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MCTS)
- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
- Key Skills in Application of Number and Communications Level 2
- Employment Rights and Responsibilities

Since your intrested in learning, an apprenticeship like this would probably benefit you as my course has already taught me the basics of networking and in the future it will teach me the more advanced stuff as i get closer to the Microsoft exams. Also apprenticeships are good in the way you will be sent out to work placements, which means you get a more hands on type of role. And since your getting a more hands on type of role it also means your receiving the right type of training.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Thank you both for your reply, and that apprenticeship program looks like a very good idea, can I ask how long you have got left on the course and where you think you will be after the 7 months. Thanks SuperSean.

and thank you for your advise wagnerk it is much appreciated.

Regards
Chris

 

Well out of the 7 months, i've done about a month and half. I started 20th september. Well after this 7 months i hope to get into a full-time job with the qualifications and where i know there will be work as i don't want to sit around all day doing nothing. So i would mainly like to be an IT Technician for a recognised company sorting out their problems aswell as installing and configuring networks. Although after this course i am considering about going on to do another intense course focusing on another section in the IT industry to give me some more knowledge, possibly graphics design.

 

Hi thanks for the reply, good luck with the rest of your course and I hope you get into what you want afterwards.

Regards
Chris

 

Thanks i hope all goes well for you in the future and you start making the big bucks

 

In all honesty I wouldn't class graphics design as being in the IT Industry.

I would also want to add that 7 months isn't really enough time to gain the experience required for some of the certifications you're talking about (MS recommend 12 - 18 months experience for their MCITP certifications). So whilst I appreciate that in 7 months you will get a lot of exposure to various technologies, don't expect it to give you the experience to pass the exam and do it for real in the real world.

 

Well graphics design to me is in the IT Industry as i obviously use computers and use softwares to create the graphics, but thats just my opinion.

And i know the 7 months won't give me the experience but thats why i have all these work placements to help progress my learning futher, also this 7 months is an intense course as i stated previously, meaning we have no holidays except christmas. Thats the only break we have and even that is a short break so whilst everyone is having weeks off here and there we are in work/class studying hard. It may give us the basic experience, i know that but that's why i plan to learn elsewhere after this apprenticeship.

 

Yes, selling burgers. Well the till at the counter in McDonalds is really a computer after all!