Workers who start and complete an apprenticeship earn more money than other similar employees and are more likely to end up as managers, a British study has found.
Apprentices go on to earn an average £23,400-a-year, almost £4,000 more than those who do not complete an indenture, the research by the Learning and Skills Network has concluded.
The difference was highest among people aged 36 to 41, with former apprentices earning an average of just under £26,000 a year.
The research, based on labour market data, found ex-apprentices were also more likely to land a management role.
Almost one in three former apprentices now held a management position and a further 15 per cent were in a supervisory role, it said.
This compared with just a quarter who did not complete an apprenticeship now being managers and 11 per cent being supervisors.
The chances of being promoted by and large hinged on the fact that organisations were more likely to want to keep and promote those people in who they have invested.
Jill Lanning, director of research at LSN, said: "Apprentices make loyal employees who understand the standards of work that their organisation expects.
"People who complete an apprenticeship can look forward to a lucrative career, good prospects of promotion and an ongoing commitment from their employer," she added.
Apprenticeships also made economic sense for employers in that employees who completed them were more likely to stay with an organisation for longer, the survey also found.