Apprenticeships
What is an apprenticeship?
- An apprenticeship is a real job that allows you to work and study at the same time
- Most of your time is spent doing on the job training and the rest is spent gaining a qualification
- Apprenticeships normally last between 1-4 years to complete depending on the level that you are doing
- You will get paid a salary and be part of a team, just like all other employees, but you’ll also get dedicated study time
Why choose an apprenticeship?
- You can avoid University fees
- You will develop new skills
- You’ll be earning money – currently minimum apprenticeship wage is £8 hour but employers often pay a lot more
- At the end of the apprenticeship, you will gain a new qualification
Apprenticeship levels
| Apprenticeship Type | Level | Equivalent Educational Level |
| Intermediate | 2 | 5 x GCSE passes (grades 9 to 4, or A* to C) |
| Advanced | 3 | 2 x A-Level Passes |
| Higher | 4, 5 | Higher Education Certificate / Diploma or a Foundation Degree |
| Degree | 6 | Bachelor's Degree |
| "" | 7 | Master's Degree |
Examples of careers you can start with an apprenticeship
You can do an apprenticeship in all sorts of things, so below are just a few examples.
• Dental Nurse
• Web Developer
• Chef
• Dental Laboratory Assistant
• Farrier
• Aerospace Engineer
• Cyber Security Technician
• Nuclear Scientist
• Boat builder
• Butcher
• Greenkeeper
• Journalist
• Hairdresser
• Brewer
• Designer
• Marine Engineer
• Carpenter
• Rail Engineering Technician
• Midwife
• Personal Trainer
• Train Driver
• Travel Consultant
• Digital Marketer
• Nail Technician
• Paramedic
• Scaffolder
Where to look for apprenticeships
Find an apprenticeship (.gov) - https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/
This is the main official site for listing apprenticeships in the UK where you can search by keyword, interest, location, distance, apprenticeship level - and sign-up for email alerts. All apprenticeships in the UK should be listed here.
Jobsites and Social Media
You can also normally find apprenticeships listed wherever jobs are listed online, too: School and College online job boards, major jobsites like Indeed, Reed, SimplyHired etc - and on LinkedIn, Facebook community groups etc.
Application Tips
- Research the employer
- Tailor each application
- Be prepared – make sure your CV is ready and at it's best
- Ensure you meet the deadlines
- Practice answering interview questions – AI can help!
Application windows - important!
Larger organisaions tend to have established timeframes for offering their apprenticeships. These 'windows' of opportunity are normally on an annual cycle and can be quite narrow. They also differ by employer, so you need to be aware of when the windows open and close or you could miss out on applying and have to wait until the next cycle. The situation is not like University / UCAS applications where everyone broadly applies at the same time.
This is especially important to know for students at school and college to consider, because you'll likely have to make the application whilst you are still studying if you're looking to start the apprenticeship after your exams. If you wait to look for apprenticeships until after your exams are done, you may find that you can't apply to the organisation that you're interested in until the next cycle - often the following year.
Examples of application windows for larger organisations: (>Applications Open - [Applications close] = Apprenticeship start-date)
- >January - [April] = August /September start
- >September - [October] = September of following year start
- >February - [May] = September / October start
- >January - [Early April] = September start
- >Autumn – [Mid January] = August /September start
- >February – [Mid March] = September start
- >Late January – [Late February] = September start
- >October and July (Open - two intakes per year) = February and August the following year to start
- >Autumn - [May] = August /September start
As you can see, there really isn't a single answer to when applications open. Examples of some larger organastions who operate apprenticeship cycles similar to those above include: Aviva, Larking & Gowen, Anglia Water, British Sugar, Lovewell Blake, The Met Office, EDF, Price Bailey and R G CARTER.
But...
Of course, not every organisation has a fixed apprenticeship cycle. Many employers recruit for apprentices like they do for regular employees - as and when they need them.
You can apply for these by just monitoring recruitment portals, jobsites and the apprenticeships site at anytime.
Small and medium sized employers are less likely to rigidly adhere to an annual cycle, but be aware that the NHS, County and District Councils tend not to have unified apprenticeship application window, even though the are comparatively large!
Key takeways
- There's no 'one-size fits all' for when apprenticeships open and close, but larger organisations are more likely to have an annual or fixed cycle
- Research the employers you are interested in so that you know broadly if you have to wait for specific window
- Plan ahead - you may have to look whilst still studying or maintaining an existing job to be ready for the next window
- Apprenticeships can still 'pop-up' due to operational requirements at any employer - so keep an eye on the official apprenticeships site regardless of any application windows you know about
