Apprenticeships explained

Apprenticeships explained

 

On this page:

• Introduction
• Apprenticeship benefits
• How does it work?
• Training Organisations and Funding
• Traineeships
• What could an Apprenticeship lead to?
• Finding an Apprenticeship
• Find out more
• Raising the Participation Age (RPA)

Introduction

If your son or daughter is interested in starting work and they are keen to learn some skills and gain qualifications, then an Apprenticeship could be the right option for them.

On an Apprenticeship they study for qualifications while working and they learn the skills they need for the job they are doing. To start an Apprenticeship you must be 16 or over and not in full time education.  There are three levels of apprenticeships covering young people with average GCSE grades to those with A levels or BTEC.

Apprenticeship benefits

There are lots of benefits to doing an Apprenticeship. You can learn while you earn and in a way that is best suited to you. As an apprentice you:

• earn a salary
• get paid holidays
• receive training and gain qualifications
• learn job-specific skills
• can progress to degree level

Apprenticeships are valuable for young people because:

1.  They provide access to real-world practical learning with up-to-date methods and technologies, and highly skilled workers. For some careers, such as medical surgery, construction, catering and hairdressing, real-world practical learning to exacting standards is really the only way to learn the necessary skills.

2.  They combine real-world practical learning with formal and theoretical learning in further education colleges. This dual nature of apprenticeships means young people are able to gain a more expert grasp of their field. In addition, general education can be incorporated into apprenticeships so that gaps in literacy and numeracy skills can be filled, as well as the further development of these skills through more traditional academic subjects.

 3.  They build character and employability skills. As well as providing valuable practical learning opportunities, the induction into the practices and expectations of a profession or trade that apprenticeships provide builds skills like learning to get on with others, working  in a team, motivating oneself, using initiative and developing self-understanding. This fact is borne out by evidence that there is a wage premium for young people who undertake apprenticeships even if they leave the profession for which they trained. In other words, apprenticeships build character and the employability skills that constitute the modern ‘transferable skills’ that employers repeatedly state are lacking in young people.

Earning while you are learning

Apprentices do real jobs for real employers. So you’re paid while you learn. As your skills develop, your pay will increase accordingly. You may also get additional money for essential books, clothing or equipment.

Pay Rates

From October 2014 all apprentices under 19 or in their first year of an apprenticeship will be paid a minimum of £2.73 per hour and will receive this for the time they spend working, plus the time spent training so that’s £101 a week.

Many apprentices earn significantly more, with the average Apprenticeship wage standing at £170 per week. If you’re 19 or over and past your first year you get the rate that applies to your age - check what that is here.

How does it work?

Apprenticeship training can take between one and four years to complete, but the length of an apprenticeship depends on its level, the industry in question and the skills the apprentice already has.

Training takes place in the work place and they’ll also spend some time at a local college or work-based learning provider. Apprentices are taken on directly by employers and work alongside other employees.

These are real jobs like any other non-apprenticeship job so they have to apply to an employer and compete against other applicants. Entry requirements vary depending on the level of the apprenticeship and the nature of the job.

Who are they for?

To start an apprenticeship you have to be aged 15 or older and no longer in full time education.  School leavers cannot start until after the last Friday in June of the academic year in which they have their 16th birthday.

There is no upper age limit as such but it is the case that apprentices who start their training when they are 19 or older attract less government funding for training costs.

People who already have a qualification at level 4 or higher (including NVQ, Dip HE, HNC, HND and degrees) are not eligible to do an apprenticeship.

Generally you have to have been resident in the UK for 3 years prior to starting your training although there are some exceptions to this. Competition for apprenticeships can be strong, so you will need to show that you are keen and determined to progress.

Sectors and qualifications

There's a stereotype that apprenticeships are only available in trades like builders or hairdressers, but you can actually find apprenticeships in a wide range of sectors with employers from large national companies such as Sainsbury’s and BMW to smaller local companies.

There are more than 280 different types of Apprenticeships in fields ranging from nursing to graphic design and horticulture to electric vehicle engineering.  The UK’s largest apprenticeship programme is that offered by the army to 95% of its new recruits.  Its worth remembering however that most vacancies can be found in business and administration, customer service, IT, child care and hospitality and catering. The right one for your child will depend on their interests, their experience and the opportunities in your area.

What qualifications will they gain?

An Apprenticeship is a set of separate qualifications, called a ‘framework’ and they will need to complete all parts to achieve their Apprenticeship.

     Apprenticeship Framework

1. The technical certificate demonstrates achievement of the technical skills, knowledge and understanding related to the wider industry.
2. The NVQ or competency qualification shows you can perform well in your job or profession .
3. A range of transferable skills including English, Maths, ICT, working with others, improving own learning and problem solving. These are sometimes called key skills or functional skills.
4. Employer Rights and Responsibilities (ERR) demonstrate that you know and understand areas such as employment related legislation and Health and Safety. 

What level of Apprenticeship could they study?

There are three levels of Apprenticeship available, what level you start at would depend on your current qualifications and the opportunities available in the sector you are interested in.

• Intermediate Apprenticeship (Level 2; equivalent to five good GCSE passes) :  provides you with the skills and qualifications for your chosen career and allow entry (if desired) to an Advanced Apprenticeship.  To be accepted you need to be enthusiastic,  keen to learn and have a reasonable standard of education ; 
• Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3; equivalent to two A-level passes) : to start this programme, you should have five GCSEs (grade A*-C) or have completed an Intermediate Apprenticeship. This will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need for your career and allow entry (if desired) to a Higher Apprenticeship or degree level qualification ;
• Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4/5; equivalent to a Foundation Degree) : to start this programme, you should have a Level 3 qualification (A-Levels, Advanced Diploma or International Baccalaureate) or have completed an Advanced Apprenticeship.

Training Organisations and Funding

A small number of larger employers will provide all of the training in-house but the great majority of apprenticeships are organised for the employers by a college or private training organisation. The training organisations receive their funding direct from the government’s Skills Funding Agency. Some training organisations will subcontract with other organisations to provide some (or all) of their training.

 The amount of government funding for an Apprenticeship depends on the age of the apprentice. The following table summarises the proportion of funding available for different age groups.

Age of apprentice	Proportion of funding available for training
16 to 18	100% of course fees
19 to 23	50% of course fees
24 and over	40% of course fees