Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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Im really not enjoying uni any more, im on a BEng Motorsport degree and im in my second year, its far to theoretical for me and i cant see myself passing the exams.
Im just contemplating other options atm, jus wondered what people who did apprenticeships thought of them, were they worth doing, what career opportunities did you have at the end of it, what age did you start them?
Im in a bit of a pickle, and i dont know what to do 
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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I think learndirect have an excelent support service for info aboe these sort of things...
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Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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cheers for that, ive jus been looking at car manufactures websites and most of them seem to offer apprenticeships, which seems positive
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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I know Fiat and Merc do, ive got mates in both 
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Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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been looking at merc, bentley, honda.
Dunno what to do though,if i quit now ive wasted another 2 years of my life
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sxibeast
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Registered: 6th Aug 03
Location: Milton Keynes
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I say hang on and complete the course mate. it'll be tough and boring and you'll feel like its going to crap, but once the course has finished, you'll have that piece of paper with your qually on it!
Then you can start to hunt for jobs that would more suit what you are looking for! Plus, it never looks good if you quit a course half way, always looks better if you complete
Im coming to the end of my mechanical engineering apprenticeship (with the Home Office), some of its been crap and ive wanted to walk away from it, but then i think well if i stick it out and get the qually, then in the long run its more money for when/if i go looking for another job in the same/similar field
Stick with it, it'll be worth it in the long run 
[Edited on 12-04-2007 by sxibeast]
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DJMartin07
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Registered: 1st Feb 07
Location: Bedford/
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Merc are good Hamish, i've got a mate who's just got one there and he'll be earning £18k as an apprentise.
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Bart
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Registered: 19th Aug 02
Location: Midsomer Norton, Bristol Avon
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quote:
Originally posted by sxibeast
I say hang on and complete the course mate.
yep.
I thought the same all the way through my courses and so glad i did them.
I struggled like hell, found it really hard, so much work outside of college, but so glad now.
The thing is, if you dont have that bit of paper, you cant make demands within any company.
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JM_16v
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Registered: 17th Oct 05
Location: Essex Drives: GLC63S
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in other industrys im in conrtsuction and you can doi everything as a trainee fro quant surveying to site management
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Laney
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Registered: 6th May 03
Location: Leeds
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I'm planning on doing this kinda thing when I graduate. Isn't it more Graduate Training than Apprenticeship?
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Mark330d
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Registered: 25th Apr 06
Location: Netherlee, Glasgow City
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I start my apprenticeship with Honda on the 18th of June
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Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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but then if i complete an apprenticeship i will get a piece of paper with a qualification on it surely? i honestly dont see haw im gunna pass my exams, gotta teach myself the whole year basically in 2 weeks
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Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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quote:
Originally posted by Laney
I'm planning on doing this kinda thing when I graduate. Isn't it more Graduate Training than Apprenticeship?
im thinking of quitting and starting afresh mate
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taylorboosh
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Registered: 3rd Apr 07
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well its only two weeks? if you fail youve lost 2 weeks if you pass gained the 2 years your going to sling
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Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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thats true, but then if im struggling this much in year 2, is there much point going onto year 3?
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RCoughtrie
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Registered: 31st Oct 04
Location: East Ayrshire Scotland
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I wanted to be in the motor trade right back when I was in school... did a few courses at Kilmarnock collage... was the lecturer that put me off telling us his sob stories about the trade be under paid etc... which rightfully so it is imo… so I jumped ship and headed into construction
Just been a year since I finished my Painting and Decorating apprenticeship , tbh its been the best thing that’s ever happened to me the money is perfect at work and extremely well on jobs outside work
Have met a lot of people and contacts in the construction industry in the 4 years of learning... now being a tradesman for a year I’m looking to ether move up the ladder in my company, join the police or start my own business in the near future lots of options
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Dean B
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Registered: 23rd Aug 06
Location: Lincolnshire
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With most apprenticeships you get an NVQ level 3, and a theory qualification relevant to the subject.
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sxibeast
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Registered: 6th Aug 03
Location: Milton Keynes
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what if you just deferred from the last year for a year, gave yourself some time out and time to chill and have a think about things before chucking it all in?
What are the exams on you have coming up? is it mainly all mathematical?
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Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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its 2nd year motorsport engineering, its basically mech eng. maths, solid body mechanics, thermodynamics etc etc realli gay boring stuff .
Defering a year i suppose is a possiblity, but if i fail it this time round, i dont see the point doing it again realli
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Tommy L
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Registered: 21st Aug 06
Location: Northampton Drives: Audi wagon
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imho i think uni is a waste of time and money. these days many people go for the experience, meet new people and get pissed i'm guessing you are in a nice size debt if you are in your second year??? if i was you i would complete this year. take exams and see the outcome of results you might surprise yourself but if you want to end now, get yourself an apprenticeship on the job training has got to be better
 hamish
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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Im 24 & looking to start an apprenticeship as an instrument/electrical tech off shore. Its 3.5yrs training, 1.5yrs on shore in a workshop where you do gsvq II & III + an NQ in Engineering. Then 2yrs off shore, you attend college the weeks your on leave to complete an HNC.
Moneys not too good to start with, erm £100 a week for the 1st 18 months, then you go off & the money creeps up a bit, 16k for the next 12 months, 19k for the last 12 months then your time served & go straight onto 42k a year!
Ive got a test tomorrow for one company, fingers crossed!!
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sxibeast
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Registered: 6th Aug 03
Location: Milton Keynes
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i mite be wrong here, but i thought the apprenticeship scheme only ran until you were 24 (though if you go over 24 whilst being on the scheme they let it run)? i mite be wrong but im pretty sure thats what my college liason officer lady told me the other week, but like i said, i mite be wrong and different companies may offer different things
I was late starting my apprenticeship (2003, aged 20) but am now 24 and doing HNC at the same time as completing the NVQ level 3. hard work, but im just thinking about the money and the promotion at the end of it all, and where it could lead in the future (i'd like to attain chartership in Engineering at some point).
Im crap at maths with the HNC, but i sit next to one of the boffins who guides me through and shows me lil tricks through bollocks like Polynominal Long Division :l
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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Not any more, age discrimination act 2006 to thank for that
Ive already done an HNC in Electrical Engineering, GSVQ II in Chemistry & worked for BP for 4 years.
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sxibeast
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Registered: 6th Aug 03
Location: Milton Keynes
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cool! as youve done electrical HNC already, will they cut down your apprenticeship time as you'll already have a fair bit of knowledge, or will you just have to sit through most of it again (if its covered in the new course)? Would that be with BP again or another oil/petroleum firm?
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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Im doing the NHC Electrical just now at college (off my own back) finish end of May.
I expect if I get taken on i'll either do another different HNC or i'll go onto a HND course!!
Ive got an appointment with BP next week, the one im going to tomorrow for a test is with Cogent SSC, you do training with them then get taken on with a company when you 1st go off.
[Edited on 12-04-2007 by Colin]
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