NI Apprenticeship Week: Ex-soldier says 'stigma of apprenticeships' is fading
- Published
Tammy Whelan left the Army after her daughter was born
Tammy Whelan became a soldier after leaving school with few qualifications.
From Larne, County Antrim, the 32-year-old underwent intense Army training before serving in Iraq.
She loved the challenges of her job and expected "to be in the Army forever".
But Tammy began to reconsider her career choice after her first baby was born eight years ago.
"I didn't like the thought of leaving my daughter for long periods," she says.
She made the difficult decision to leave the Army for a job in administration.
Tammy "didn't thrive" in her new role, but because she had left school with few GCSEs, she felt her career options were limited.
The mother of two says it was by "complete luck" that she came across the opportunity to apply for an engineering apprenticeship within her company, Arup.
Tammy Whelan with her children
An apprenticeship is a job that incorporates practical training with study.
Having started a Level 3 Btech in construction and the built environment in 2016, Tammy is now undertaking a level 5 foundation degree in civil engineering with a view to becoming a chartered engineer.
She has twice been named Northern Ireland Apprentice of the Year, external and says she would "100% recommend apprenticeships" as a career path despite her own initial reservations.
"I remember thinking I was going to end up making tea," she recalls.
"But it was in no way like that, it was structured straight away. It is good for people like me who are hungry for work experience and for their career."
Speaking during Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week, external, she says outdated beliefs about apprenticeships, including low pay, low skilled positions and poor career progression, were changing.
"I think people are starting to warm to apprenticeships a bit more. It is good to see the stigma being taken away," she says.
Tammy is one of approximately 34,000 people who have taken level 1-3 apprenticeships through Apprenticeships NI in Northern Ireland since 2013 according to the Department for the Economy, external, which funds the scheme.
The total number of participants steadily increased to 2016/17, after which there was a decrease in the number of starts.
However, the proportion of those entering the higher level programmes increased from 44% in 2017/18 to 47% in 2018/19 (up to April 2019).
A Department for the Economy spokesman said its strategy on apprenticeships was central to transforming Northern Ireland's economy.
Apprenticeships are available for applicants of all ages, external and cover a range of disciplines from accounting and carpentry to software and civil engineering.
Belfast grammar school student Ciaran Goss, 16, is among the first batch of applicants to a new scheme launched by Workplus.
It is one of a number companies promoting apprenticeships across Northern Ireland.
Ciaran says he decided to apply for an apprenticeship in civil engineering after becoming "fed up with school".
He discovered the apprenticeships online but said his parents weren't convinced by his plan.
His mother, Rhonda, admitted she initially "started to freak" about her son's decision not to do A-levels or go to university.
Rhonda and Ciaran Goss
"I associated apprenticeships with something you did when you didn't have another option. I wasn't sure they were viable," she says.
"I was fearful Ciaran was going to throw his education away, but now that we have done our research, I am excited about it for him."
Economy Minister Diane Dodds has highlighted apprenticeships as a priority in her new role, external.