Apprenticeships FAQs

There are Apprenticeships available at intermediate, advanced, higher and degree levels. These cover more than 1,500 job roles across 170 industries, from Nursing to Graphic Design to Engineering and Catering. A common misconception is that Apprenticeships are only available in a limited number of job roles and certain sectors. However this is not true – there are thousands of jobs out there working in all types of exciting organisations.

To become an apprentice, you will need to:

• Be legally allowed to work in the UK and be in full-time employment. If you don’t have a job, you can visit the Government’s National Apprenticeship Service website. We can also help you with your applications with our Apprenticeship Toolkit
• Only have qualifications at Level 3 or lower - for example if you have completed a Level 4 Foundation Degree, you won’t be able to become an apprentice
• Be over the age of 16 and have completed Year 11 at school – there is no upper age limit.

You will:

• Work in a real job for a real employer
• Start an Apprenticeship at any age from 16+
• Gain valuable workplace skills and experience
• Get paid a salary, holiday and have a contract of employment
• Achieve nationally-recognised qualifications
• Received support from colleagues, college peer group and college tutors
• Become more employable from work experience
• Gain better career prospects once your Apprenticeship is completed.

Apprenticeships can be viable option for anyone over the age of 16. Apprenticeships have changed a lot in the past 10 years and there is a huge range of opportunities for people to achieve their career ambitions. You can achieve a full HND, Bachelors or Masters degree with a degree Apprenticeship, so do your research to see if you can reach your career goal by following the Apprenticeship pathway.

Becoming an apprentice is all about securing a job and starting your career. Organisations want to employ apprentices with the right positive attitude and who are going to work hard – but they also want employees who are going to be able to learn new skills.

Your employer is responsible for setting and paying your wages and you will be paid for the time you work and study at college. The minimum wage for an apprentice is currently set at £6.40 per hour. Training costs are covered by your employer and/or the government at every level, including higher and degree level Apprenticeships.

All of the training costs are funded by your employer and/or the Government at every level, including higher and degree level Apprenticeships.

 Apprenticeships are available in different levels depending on your previous qualifications and experience.

• Apprenticeship Level 2 – equivalent to five GCSEs grades 9-4
• Advanced Apprenticeship Level 3 – equivalent to two A Levels
• Higher Apprenticeship Level 4/5 – equivalent to Foundation Degree
• Degree Apprenticeship Level 6/7 – equivalent to Bachelor’s Degree/Master’s Degree.

The level that you start from depends on your qualifications, how much experience you have and what the job role involves. When you search for an Apprenticeship, it’s best not to search by level as the most important thing is that you have the minimum education required for the job. The idea is that you can progress through the levels as you advance in your career and gain more experience.  

An Apprenticeship usually takes between one and four years to complete. For anyone aged 16-18 starting an Apprenticeship, the minimum duration is 12 months. However the length of an Apprenticeship can vary depending on:

• The prior skills levels of the apprentice
• The type of qualification being obtained and industry sector of the Apprenticeship.

For example, a business administration Apprenticeship can usually be achieved within 18 months, whereas an engineering Apprenticeship might take up to four years to complete.

You can start an Apprenticeship at any age if you are 16+ and have completed Year 11. As of 2015, you are required to stay in Education, Employment or Training until you reach the age of 18 – but this includes Apprenticeships. You can also start an Apprenticeship throughout the year and you can be an apprentice at any working age.

An apprentice will spend 20% of their time studying at a college, university or training centre. This equates to one day per week. Some courses will be delivered on day release with college attendance weekly – some will be fortnightly with project work to complete during the other week. Other courses could be block release, which means you attend college for a block of time, e.g. two weeks, and then have a longer block of time at your place of work.

On-the-job training is where an apprentice will learn in the workplace. You will be developing your skills by working with colleagues who will show you how to carry out certain tasks. It could be a structured formal session or an unplanned informal training exercise.

Apprentices learn an develop skills away from their place of work in off-the-job training. It might be that they use a computer to access online learning or leave the workplace to attend a college, university or training centre to study in a classroom or workshop with other apprentices.

Both types of training are invaluable in enabling apprentices to develop the skills required for them to be successful in their chosen Apprenticeships.  

Most apprentices do secure a job once they have completed their Apprenticeship. A survey conducted by the National Apprenticeship Service showed that 85% of apprentices either stay working with the employer that they have completed their Apprenticeship with or will go on to find another job with a different employer. Some apprentices decide they want to continue further studying, such as starting a full time degree at university or college.