When Meghan Russell was in sixth year she recalls being encouraged by teachers and guidance counsellors to get a college degree at all costs.
After duly completing a bachelor of science in environmental health at Technological University Dublin, she soon realised an office job wasn’t for her.
Two weeks ago she completed her four-year stint as an apprentice electrician with CJK engineering in Dublin.
She loves the satisfaction of fitting out new buildings or problem-solving how to rewire older ones.
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An added bonus is that she is out-earning many of her college graduate friends, with a starting salary of about €52,000. With enough overtime, she says, it can rise to €60,000-€70,000.
By contrast, latest figures indicate that average starting salaries for college graduates are about €34,000 for those completing undergraduate courses.
Many school leavers like Meghan find their real strength lies in learning through doing.
In a previous era, their opportunities were confined to apprenticeships in construction and the motor trade. Today’s school leavers have a choice of some 77 apprenticeship programmes across every sector of the economy. They include new degree-level apprenticeships in areas such as ICT, financial services and insurance.
They range in length from two to four-year programmes and are certified from levels five (certificate) to level 10 (PhD standard).
Turnaround
Latest figures show there were about 9,000 new registrations last year, the highest on record, an increase of more than 60 per cent over the past three years.
These days, more school leavers realise that apprenticeships provide a chance to “earn and learn”.
Why haven’t they been more popular? Some say it’s snobbery. For many parents – and, by extension school leavers – there has been no cap and gown at the end of it.
But it is more than that, I think. Apprenticeships, in the eyes of many well-meaning parents, seem to lack stability of employment. There’s a perception that they are more at risk from the vagaries of the economy. That is changing with the advent of degree-level apprenticeships.
For a growing number, they are jumping ahead of college graduates in similar fields with years of on-the-job experience under their belt by the time they qualify. To find out more, visit apprenticeship.ie
Exams
Believe it or not, it was day 12 of the State exams today.
Thousands of Leaving Cert completed their design and communication graphics (CDG) exam in the morning, following by music in the afternoon.
Music was a challenging paper with some familiar Irish musicians, while the general tone of the DCG exam was one of familiarity with topics that “should be in everyone’s arsenal”.
Up tomorrow:
Economics (9.30-12pm) and Physical Education (2-4.30pm)
