Apprenticeships and Training

Many companies and organisations offer apprenticeships of various levels. The term ‘earn as you learn’ reflects the nature of apprenticeships in that you will earn a wage as you are working for a business whilst learning as you go. At the end of your apprenticeship, be that 12 months, 18 months, 3 years (or more, depending on the level at which you are working) you will receive your qualification.

Many organisations also retain their apprentices so there is often a chance you will continue in your employment in the company you have trained with.

You may also want to consider a traineeship if you are not quite equipped to go onto an apprenticeship or straight into work. Traineeships are for those who might benefit from work experience placements which help them to prepare for getting a real job or starting an apprenticeship. A traineeship could last 6 months and will support you in getting level 2 Maths and English qualifications.

There are many websites that can provide you with information about apprenticeships and traineeships. Some of our recommendations include the government’s Get In Go Far, CareerPilot and notgoingtouni. These sites explain the various levels of apprenticeship, provide case studies and videos so you can get the perspectives of students that have gone on to undertake apprenticeships, and help and advice features. They also provide a search facility to enable you to look for apprenticeships in different sectors up and down the country.

Some facts and figures….

• Apprenticeships are available in 1500 job roles, covering more than 170 industries, from advertising to youth work and from environmental engineering to legal.
• Up to 28,000 apprenticeship vacancies are available online at any one time.
• After finishing, the majority of apprentices (90%) will stay in employment, with seven in ten (71%) staying with the same employer.
• A quarter of former apprentices had received a promotion (23%) within 12 months of finishing, and for intermediate and advance apprentices, three quarters reported taking on more responsibility in their job after completing their apprenticeship.

If you are interested in finding out more about apprenticeships we recommend visiting the dedicated are of the Gov.uk website.