Now here's something we weren't expecting - and it could be the best news ever for those looking for an apprenticeship but who haven't found themselves a suitable one yet: how about an all-expenses-paid, three-year apprenticeship ... in Germany?
Germany?
That's right - even though Germany has pretty well the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe, they still have over thirty thousand apprenticeship vacancies going begging ... and nobody to fill them.
So what they're doing, then, is offering those apprenticeships to us, here in the UK.
OK, so there are conditions attached, like having to be aged between 18 and 35, and being educated to A-level standard, but that's as far as condition go, from what we can gather.
You don't speak German? No worries - they're throwing 170 hours of free language lessons into the deal, which should be enough to give you a working knowledge of the language, for a start.
Worried about homesickness? Don't be - you get two trips back home every year, for free.
And what about the money side of things? Well, considering that if you're aged 18 and under, and serving an apprenticeship here in the UK, you'd be looking at a minimum apprenticeship wage of £345 a month - before tax. And when you reach 21, you could look forward to a minimum of £785 a month - again, before tax.
Now compare that to what's on offer in the way of apprenticeship wages in Germany: how does £700 a month sound - after tax?
And, of course, you’d be getting trained in one of Germany's world-renowned vocational schools.
Here in the UK, the International Business Academy is running the scheme. Wulf Schroeter, of the Academy, says: “Generally, the brightest youngsters don’t like to be unemployed.
“Therefore they wouldn’t leave their country if there are enough alternatives.
“It’s the job of the governments everywhere to establish conditions for the economy to invest their money and create jobs.”
And on a more romantic note, the German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce's Bob Bischof says: 'We hope many of those who come over will like the life, maybe meet a German partner, and stay for good".
Worth further investigation, we think.
