Go for the apprenticeship! Get in the field and play ball before you fork over thousands in education and realize what a mistake it was. I am VERY glad I worked for a dealer BEFORE going to school, boy would I have hated myself for spending a few years in school only to find out what I learned in a year on the job. You will not have a problem finding a job, there are shortages everywhere for bottom end jobs-lube techs, car washers, etc. Most will not sign the apprenticeship papers untill you work a few months and are deemed worthy of funding for a program (it costs them). Good luck!
On another note, I do agree the service advisors DO NOT KNOW what they are doing. At this particular VW dealer over six advisors have walked in a year (or fired), and they were DUMB! But then again, they were asked to work 12 hour days at substandard wages ($20-25k a year, 12 hours a day, CDN funds, few or no benefits). Again, pay is key, but I do not feel that the dealer would have to raise the hourly rate to pay the techs and advisors a couple more per hour, just open their wallets!
Greg