Once in a while no matter how old or young you are, we all need a bit of support when trying to build a better future for ourselves.
Most of us have that support network which keeps us going towards reaching a goal, but others are in need of a helping hand to give them the strength and motivation to keep going.
The Electrical Industries Charity designed the Apprentice Support Programme which recognises the resilience of the young people in the electrical industry and delivers the services to ensure that they get the right support to create a promising career path for themselves. The Programme provides young adults with the right level of support with many issues including financial, emotional, health and family factors that may be in the way of pursuing a dream of starting a new career.
Apprentices are an important part of our industry. The UK Government key facts outline that almost nine in ten of every employer that takes on an apprentice reported benefits to their business. In addition, 70% of businesses reported that apprenticeships improved their productivity or the quality of their product or service and on average increased productivity by £214 a week.
The Charity recognises the importance of apprenticeships in the electrical sector and the need for peer and family support networks for young people in the industry. Some of the services that the Apprentice Support Programme offers to young individuals includes career development and transition assistance, debt advice, financial assistance, legal advice, complex case management support, counselling, apprentice scholarships and bursary scheme, financial grants and assistance, electrical engineering scholarship and support for carers.
One recent example that outlines the benefits of being part of the Apprentice Support Programme is Billy’s story.
Billy aged 20, was diagnosed with bone cancer in the final year of his apprenticeship, which was extremely aggressive and required a life-saving amputation. Billy’s family, local community and businesses, and the Electrical Industries Charity were able to fund a prosthetic limb collectively. Billy’s journey back to independence is led by a strong desire to complete his apprenticeship.
Billy’s story is one of many examples that outline the difficulties that the future stars of our industry are facing in order to reach their goal of building a pathway to a brighter career.
Join the Apprentice Support Programme today and support the new talent coming into the electrical sector.