Though there are thousands of different types of apprenticeship to choose from, it's one that's based in the ICT sector that could set you sailing comfortably through life.

The ICT sector is divided into two categories - those who understand how it works and those who simply use it in the workplace. Overall, a job in the ICT sector requires quick-thinking, inventive, candidates who love problem-solving, as well as computers of course! 

But computers are for nerds!

Gone are the days where anything to do with ICT was considered "geeky". Now everybody and their mum have a Facebook account, digital music is outselling CDs and your average mobile phone is now more powerful than the computers of yesteryear. ICT is absolutely everywhere, from cash machines to bus-stops and it's a sector that's constantly getting bigger.

What kind of roles are there?

There are far too many to name all of them in this article, but some of the most common categories are as follows:

Web design

Working as a web designer involves planning and building a website. Often, businesses will rely on web designers to create their company's website for them, sticking to a design concept which will have already been discussed. Web designers use a combination of text, images, digital media and programming elements to create pages that can be read and presented correctly by web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Markup language (commonly HTML and CSS) is used to build web pages, though other languages such as JavaScript and ASP.net are also user by designers.

Programming/software development

Depending on what type of company you work for, the role that the programmer has can be a very different one. Generally, it is the programmer's job to write, test and maintain programs that are used by computers to carry out functions. Also known as 'coding', programming involves utilising languages, such as C# and Java, to build these programs. Programming is a very mentally demanding task and it requires tons of patience and practice. By learning one programming language, it becomes a lot easier to learn the rest as the differences are few and far between.

Support

With so many homes and offices packed with computers and other technology, it's not uncommon for something to go wrong. Left in the wrong hands for long enough, computers can be on the verge of death within a few minutes and it's the support technician's job to sort it out. ICT support technicians can deal with either software (the programs and systems on a computer) or hardware (the physical elements of a computer - it's inside parts and accessories) depending on the type of role they have and what company they work for. Again, patience is required for this type of job, especially regarding the phrase "Switch it off and switch it back on again."

I don't think any of that is really for me!

Don't worry if you don't really fancy becoming a master of motherboards, there are other aspects to the ICT sector without having to know what the difference between RAM and ROM is! ICT apprenticeships also apply to learning how to use everyday software and how to apply it to a workplace. Picking up the skills to easily construct and manage spreadsheets, databases and presentations could really fare well for you in future job roles, especially in companies that specifically rely on a certain program (a financial business using Microsoft Excel to build spreadsheets, for example).

If you already have a keenness for computing and the Internet, you could extend those skills by learning about networking, emails and more advanced programs, depending on the type of work you want to go into. For example, budding photographers may choose to learn of the advantages to using Adobe's Photoshop package.

Hmmm… what else could I do?

By learning these skills, you could go on and teach others how to use them. Many companies hire professionals to come in and train staff on programs they'll need to know, such as database and spreadsheet work so the demand for teachers is quite high. Individual businesses will ask for different tasks, such as helping a receptionist with her Outlook calendar, giving a self-employed website owner a guide through networking or introducing a small office to the wonders of shared libraries.