I work as a mentor for an apprenticeship scheme at a large tech company, and work alongside several apprentices.

While it’s not fully serious, there are a few inaccuracies. On the whole, I think the apprenticeship scheme is a great way to get people into work, especially as software engineers. In fact, I would put them way above bootcamps, which are essentially ways to part someone with their money in return for cheap labour.

With that being said, here are a few gotchas:

• Most employers/mentors don’t give a fuck about your progression. You’re an additional resource, and you’re treated as such. Sadly, mentors that do give a shit typically end up getting shit from their managers because it’s not “a priority”.
• The money is often poor, even at FAANG companies. This is because you’re not a full-time employee, so you are heavily downlevelled, earning the same as other non-tech office positions. In some locations, it’s the difference between being able to go for lunch outside of the office with the rest of the team, and being forced to eat leftovers with the other apprentices/interns because you cannot afford lunch.
• There is a classroom aspect to apprenticeships, like with any part-time degree course.
• That four years of experience you hold at the end often isn’t viewed as valid by other employers. I’ve worked with apprentices that have finished 4-5 years at a FAANG company, only to struggle to find work afterwards, despite being fully qualified with a degree-equivalent qualification, and having worked on production services. Some get treated worse than new CS grads for roles.
• Many subjects require a mix of academic and manual skilled work, software engineering is no different. Many apprentices feel the lack of CS fundamentals to severely limit them, even if just as a habit of FOMO, given that many of them can complete the standard LeetCode curriculums you see online. If you work at a company full of Oxbridge, Harvard, and MIT grads, it’s hard to not feel inferior at times.

I still fully recommend people take apprenticeships, but I always say that it’s not a route for everyone. The people I work with that have benefited most are self-sufficient, humble, and willing to learn. Those that aren’t often find it extremely stressful and end up questioning whether a degree is better for them. As with most things, it’s an option, and options are a good thing.