18 Aug 2023
When we think of an apprenticeship, we think of it as being something that takes place from beginning to end, without any changes along the way. In reality, although apprentices have to sign an apprenticeship commitment statement before they can begin, there are legitimate reasons to choose to leave an apprenticeship.
Nobody can force you to continue an apprenticeship that you have realised isn’t for you, but many companies will be wary of taking you on if you have already left one apprenticeship, so it pays to put in the extra research beforehand to ensure you are doing something that you are keen to continue with.
Valid Reasons for Leaving an Apprenticeship
There are many perfectly valid reasons for wanting to call time on your apprenticeship, just like with any other job, you can’t be forced to continue against your will. We have noted a few legitimate reasons below for leaving an apprenticeship early.
Relationship Breakdown
This can be a major reason to want to leave an apprenticeship, the relationship between an apprentice and the person or people who have been assigned to guide them is an important one. Before deciding you definitely want to leave the apprenticeship because of this, have a think and see if there is anyone else at the company who would be more acceptable to you in terms of supervising your apprenticeship. That way you have an alternative option to put to the management before deciding to call it a day.
Relationship breakdowns can take many forms, especially in a power imbalance one like a mentor/mentee relationship. They can take the form of bullying, making negative comments, or even sexual harassment. None of these are acceptable and it is entirely legitimate to complain about these behaviours. You shouldn’t ever have to accept them at your work. The things people get away with in school shouldn’t be acceptable in the workplace.
Personal Reasons
This is a kind of catch-all category but reasons can include things like caring responsibilities for family members that are taking up too much time, or struggling to find adequate childcare provision.
Having poor mental health is also one of the major reasons that young people leave apprenticeships early. There are large proportions of young people who are struggling with their mental health and since the Covid-19 pandemic, this has skyrocketed. It is clear that if you suffer from clinical depression or some other common mental health issues that you cannot be expected to finish an apprenticeship. You need to take time to look after yourself.
Dissatisfaction with the Apprenticeship
The content of the apprenticeship is something that can be of legitimate concern. There are some workplaces where apprentices are sometimes treated as a bit of a joke and worked hard while being given the most menial tasks. It’s not surprising when they begin to doubt the value of what they are being taught in those circumstances and this is something that can lead to some people leaving and doing something else instead.
