Apprentices: the sky's the limit

Blaine says he is one of the lucky ones

As Gordon Brown outlines plans to expand and improve apprenticeships, we take a look at in-work training.

For 17-year-old Blaine Rogers, the sky literally is the limit.

The teenager is undergoing apprenticeship training to be an aerospace engineer.

He is already working on real planes at Southend Airport as part of his three-year course based at Prospect College in Basildon, Essex.

"I found out about the course from my old college where I was studying brick-laying and carpentry.

"Ultimately, I want to become a skilled airplane engineer so I can travel around the world with my skills.

"So I think I am quite lucky to be able to do this."

'More accessible'

And, according to Lisa MacCormac, manager of one of England's biggest apprenticeship providers, Nova, Blaine definitely is one of the lucky ones.

There is a real lack of awareness about what can be done as an apprentice, she says.

Most people think apprenticeships are only available in areas such as construction and hair and beauty.

As a result many pupils are not given the "full picture" by their careers advisers, she says.

This means most pupils are advised to go down the traditional university route, which may not be suitable for them.

"Basically, you can pretty much do an apprenticeship in anything.

"Someone who starts an apprentice at age 16 can end up with an engineering qualification, for example, and they don't have to go down the university route - so it makes it much more accessible."

Apprenticeship courses Horticulture Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Hairdressing Retail Care (Child and Adult) Computing and Information Technology Sport and Leisure Construction Floristry Veterinary Nursing Animal Care Graphic Design

She added: "What's most needed is a national campaign of awareness about what can be done as an apprentice."

She also argues that there needs to be an agency to manage requests for apprenticeships and what is available from businesses as well.

One of the problems with apprenticeships, and other work-based learning in the past, has been that if a learner fails to complete their course they lose all their learning.

But the new qualification credit framework (QCF) allows the learner to take chunks of learning with them to put towards future qualifications.

The QCF will be implemented across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, subject to confirmation by ministers in the three countries, from 2008.

The issue of staying power is not one that bothers Blaine.

"I wouldn't give it up even if I was offered a job and had two years to go because it's much better to see it through.

"I'll get a job at the end of it anyway."