It’s time to get down to an apprenticeship

Careers in business and administration are probably the most identifiable—we’ll all know someone who works in an office and does a 9am to 5pm day. The reason they are so prevalent is that they are so important, helping to keep businesses running efficiently and profitably, and keep staff and customers happy.

Administration is a popular one, with many jobs at entry level. Administrators do a bit of everything: they deal with internal and external correspondence; type up letters, agendas and reports; send emails and faxes; answer phone calls, and much more. It’s no wonder that many upper-level staff members rely on the assistance of administrators to do their jobs.

It doesn’t stop there though. From recruitment to law, apprenticeships are available to train the legion of skilled workers needed to keep UK businesses secure, productive and at the forefront of the economy.

If you fancy entering the legal world, you can train to become a solicitor at the degree apprenticeship level, or a chartered legal executive, on an apprenticeship programme, and there are also opportunities available in conveyancing, human resources, project management and much more.

In total, there are 42 apprenticeships within business and administration. New for this year is the business-to-business sales professional degree apprenticeship, which will teach you how to lead on long term, complex propositions, such as multiple pricing options or dealing with procurement specialists. There is also the senior leader master’s degree apprenticeship, for those budding CEOs who want to lead Fortune 500 companies.

Of course, most jobs in this sector are office-based with a typical 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday working week, but so-called ‘flexible working’ means that this isn’t the case at every employer, and don’t forget about dress-down Fridays.

Interests and skills

Consider a career in business and administration if you would enjoy working an office and using IT. Jobs can be highly technical or reliant on people skills, meaning that there will be roles for introverts and extroverts alike.

School subjects

The school subjects that may prepare you for an apprenticeship in business and administration include:

  • Business studies
  • ICT
  • English
  • Maths
Further reading

To find out more about apprenticeships in business and administration, visit: gov.uk/education/apprenticeships-traineeships-and-internships

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