[Aerkuld]

I did a full apprenticeship which meant I had to do real work as well as complete my academic qualification before I got a full time position. So in addition to regular college I had to spend three months in every engineering based department of the company doing everything from component design to plant maintenance.
The downside is that it takes far longer before you get into a real job with full pay, but on the otherhand the company did pay for my schooling.
I have found to give me a far clearer understanding of engineering and the day to day requirements of the real world than most 'normal' graduates. I really don't know why more companies don't do similar schemes.