As a teenager you are constantly told by your peers and influencers “people who go to university always get the better paid jobs”. I chose to do an Apprenticeship rather than go to university as I did not have a career path in mind.  This made it very difficult for me to justify spending such a large amount of money on university fees with no end goal in sight.  However, I knew that I wanted to continue my education and learning, therefore an Apprenticeship was the best option for me.

There are thousands of Apprenticeships out there and I chose Bridgwater College over others due to the large selection that they offered, and because I know the College has extremely high standards. Once I had an idea on what area I wanted to study it was very easy to narrow down the possible Apprenticeships to what I wanted to achieve.

The main thing that I had to remember, and that everyone should remember when choosing an Apprenticeship, is it is just the beginning, not the final job.  It’s a great way to get into the business and the working world.

I studied Business during my A Levels and I felt this was something I would like to pursue. I am completing a Business Administration apprenticeship and I am gaining a qualification. I am learning so much more about how businesses really do work.  There are many experiences that I am gaining that I feel I would have missed until much later in life if I had gone on to study at University.

I am employed by Growth Technology who formulate and manufacture commercial and retail nutrients and hydroponic systems for customers across the world. I work for the Garden Centre Division called Focus on Plants, which supplies goods directly to garden centres across the UK and abroad.

It is an amazing company to work for as I am treated as a valued employee.  As I went into the company as an apprentice I expected to be doing all the types of jobs that most young people feel you would do as an apprentice, such as just making tea, shredding and filing. This is not the case.

An apprentice could earn upwards of £5,000 a year, whereas a University student after one year of studying and usually three more years to go will already have out-goings in excess of £9,000. By the time a University student has finished they would have spent over £27,000 just to get them through university, not including the money spent on rent, food and all those nights out. This alone was a huge factor in why I made the decision to become an apprentice. By the time I am 21, I will have 3 years’ experience in the industry with a Level 3 qualification if I further my Apprenticeship, as well as my earnings for those three years.  

If you're interested in an Apprenticeship like Reece's then click here to find out more.