Apprenticeships

Ever thought about starting an apprenticeship? Did you know that you can now achieve a degree through an apprenticeship? You could learn and gain new skills whilst earning a wage! There are more than 250 types of apprenticeship covering over 1200 job roles; from engineering to financial advice and Veterinary Nursing to accountancy.

Overview:

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study.  As an apprentice you will:

  • Work alongside experienced staff.
  • Gain job-specific skills.
  • Earn a wage and get holiday pay.
  • Study towards a related qualification (usually one day a week).
  • Apprenticeships take 1 to 4 years to complete depending on their level.

Levels of Apprenticeship:

There are four levels of apprenticeship:

  • Intermediate Apprenticeships, which are equivalent to five good GCSEs.
  • Advanced Level Apprenticeships, which are equivalent to two A-levels.
  • Higher Apprenticeships, which can lead to a HND, HNC or foundation degree.
  • Degree Apprenticeships, which lead to a full undergraduate degree and include study at a university

Higher Level Apprenticeships

Who can apply?

You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school. To start one, you’ll need to be:

  • 16 or over.
  • Living in England.
  • Not in full-time education.
How to apply:

There are 3 steps to applying for an apprenticeship.

  • Search for an apprenticeship.
  • Sign in or create an account on the national apprenticeship site.
  • Complete and submit your application.
Pay and Conditions

You will be paid during your apprenticeship and will be entitled to the National Minimum Wage.  The current minimum wage rate for an apprentice is £3.50 per hour.  This rate applies to apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year of their apprenticeship.  You must be paid at least the minimum wage rate for your age if you’re an apprentice aged 19 or over and have completed your first year.

  • You must be paid for:
  • Your normal working hours (minimum 30 hours per week).
  • Training that’s part of your apprenticeship (usually one day per week).

Holidays:  you will get at least 20 days paid holiday per year, plus bank holidays.

Intermediate Apprenticeships Explained

Qualifications 

Your qualification will be at Level 2, roughly equivalent to five GCSE passes at grades 9* to 4.

The specific qualification will depend on the apprenticeship.  It will often be an NVQ, but there are other qualifications available, like BTECs.  You can find a full list of level 2 qualifications on the National Careers Service website.

What subjects can I study?

All of the main areas covered by apprenticeships have intermediate apprenticeships available.  However, options are limited in some of them. For example, most ICT apprenticeships are at the advanced level, with intermediate opportunities more limited.

However, an intermediate apprenticeship can be a stepping stone to a higher qualification.  If the specific subject you are interested in isn’t covered, check the entry requirements of other apprenticeships and courses to see what the best next step is.

Click on the following links to find about apprenticeships


Last modified: 2022-03-24