Fellowship vs Apprenticeship: Differences and Meaning

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Fellowship vs. Apprenticeship: Unfortunately, most people, especially students, don’t know the disparities between these terms.

Over the years, people have struggled and debated how people learn the most. And do you know what the majority concluded? Experience. Having known the place of experience in all ramifications of human life, gaining the right experience often gives people headaches, especially related to subjects like fellowship and apprenticeship.

I have seen quite some people get stuck on the verge of choosing a career because they couldn’t differentiate between those words. What they detail and their respective demands. Anyways, this article will widen your horizon as regards them.

To explain widely, this article will answer a few rather important questions that may come to mind when you think of fellowship and apprenticeship.

What is a fellowship?

A fellowship is a scholarship award granted to exceptional graduate students to help them pursue research in their respective areas of concern. In most cases, a fellowship is seen as a monetary award given to scholars to further their studies at the graduate or post-graduate level. This is often to subsidize students’ fees.

It is also worth noting that, although undergraduate students may use the term scholarship, fellowship is primarily for graduates and post-graduate students.

As noted earlier, fellowships are given to compliment hard-working students who must have been selected based on their exceptional skills, intelligence, and a laudable commitment to academics.

Types of Fellowship

Fellowship program

Fellowships vary across different academic fields and disciplines. Thus, I will list the different types of fellowships and their peculiarities.

  • Graduate Fellowship: This fellowship is for graduate students, and it covers tuition fees, health, and other relevant insurance. Sometimes, it covers the fee for attending seminars and conferences.
  • Medical Fellowship: This fellowship is for doctors who have completed their residency and wish to proceed with further studies
  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Fellowships like these are for postgraduate students who have completed their doctoral and would like to move forward on their academic sojourn.

What is an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeship is an on-the-job training program targeted at people who desire to learn a trade or the workings of a profession. Activities like reading and classwork sometimes complement it.

Apprenticeship, upon its completion, provides for its practitioner’s license to practice. In exchange for the knowledge, apprentices work for their employers, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.

Years spent during apprenticeship vary across fields. However, most apprenticeships take a long period to be completed.

Types of Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship concept

Apprenticeship can be done in almost all fields of life. However, these apprenticeships are classified into different categories. Among these are but not limited to the following:

  • Independent Apprenticeship: This type of apprenticeship stands aloof from an educational institution. That is, it is not affiliated with any academic institutions. Independent employers operate it. During this apprenticeship, apprentices do not simultaneously take on school work.
  • Cooperative Apprenticeship: This apprenticeship is done under the control of an academic institution and an employer. Its mode of operation varies as employers lead some, while others are affiliated with institutions. Either Way, it is a jointly administered apprenticeship program.

Having seen what fellowship and apprenticeship mean and their various categories. Now, let’s look at the importance of the two. The following are some of the reasons why college graduates and postgraduate students run after fellowship opportunities ;

  • Fellowship saves grad students and others the cost of pursuing their studies. Most fellowships cover tuition, travel, health insurance, and other essential expenses of scholars.
  • It also adds to the reputation of an individual chosen for a fellowship program. Being a fellow stands out in the labor market.
  • Also, fellowships open opportunities for scholars to learn and develop new skills. Since most fellowships are geared towards research, students gain valuable skills in their research.
  • Fellowships also give room for networking opportunities. Most fellows get offers beyond their imagination through visitations and working with professionals.

The above are the major reasons people go after fellowship or desire to become a fellow. Now let us see the relevance of apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship helps students gain valuable experience and develop practical skills. This is one of the top-notch benefits of apprenticeship for apprentices. Likewise, apprenticeship accords students highly and globally recognized certificates. Regardless of where an apprentice learns his trade, he can work anywhere.

Also, there are other benefits which include employment stipends and sometimes wages. This serves as motivation for apprentices and also promotes their efficiency. One of the relevance of training like apprenticeship is that it connects apprentices with professionals in the industry. This also paves the way for exposure and networking.

Fellowship vs. Apprenticeship: Differences

While the fellowship is an academic award for outstanding students who want to further their academic pursuits, apprenticeship deals primarily with skill acquisition.

An apprenticeship may not have affiliation with the academic curriculum as in the case of an independent apprenticeship. On the other hand, Fellowship is not beyond academics’ limits.

Fellowship attracts a lot of benefits, including allowances and waivers during the study. Aside from long-time experiential training, apprenticeship is not with many monetary gains.

How long do fellowship and apprenticeship take?

For fellowship, it depends on the years required to complete research or a project upon which the fellowship was given. Sometimes, it takes just a year; other times, it could be more.

Apprenticeship lasts for the number of years agreed by the apprentice and his or her employer. Depending on the nature and type of trade or profession, it could span from a few months to years.

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