As employees, apprentices earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off the job, usually on a day-release basis, apprentices receive training to work towards nationally recognised qualifications. Anyone living in England, over 16 and not in full-time education can apply.
Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship, the apprentices’ ability and the industry sector. The minimum salary is £2.50 per hour; however, many apprentices earn significantly more.
Key benefits:
There are lots of benefits to doing an Apprenticeship. Individuals can earn while they learn, and learn in a way that is best suited to them – through hands-on experience on the job.
Earnings
Research shows that apprentices earn, on average, over £100,000 more throughout their lifetime than other employees. Their career doesn’t have to stop at the Advanced Apprenticeship, if they want to go on to University they will find many institutes of Higher Education value their skills and knowledge and will happily offer them a place on a Foundation Degree or other higher level qualifications.
Support during training
Their employer or training provider will make sure they have support. The employer's and training provider's job is to ensure that the apprentice's training fits their personal requirements, offers the skills needed for the job and satisfies national standards. They will also be there to help them through any difficult times.
Prospects
Apprenticeships can be demanding but they are very rewarding. Because Apprenticeships train apprentices in the skills employers want, they give them choices in their career. When they’ve finished they can carry on working, maybe get promoted or go on to higher education in a college or university.
A choice of industries and employers
Apprenticeships have been developed by a wide range of industry sectors and are available with different types of employers from large national companies such as British Gas, BMW and Orange to smaller local companies.
There are now over 190 types of Apprenticeships across many sectors. The right one for the individual will depend on their interests, their experience and the opportunities in their area. However, all Apprenticeships include the following elements: