About apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship?

You are employed to do a real job while studying for a formal qualification in your chosen area.

By the end of your apprenticeship you will have gained the necessary skills and knowledge to progress in your area of study.

You will gain a nationally-recognised qualification at the end of your apprenticeship. You may be employed full time by you apprenticeship employer upon completion of your apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship leaflet [pdf document].

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Apprenticeship areas​

We offer Apprenticeship training in the areas listed below. Click each apprenticeship to find out more.

Care

• Adult Care Worker (Level 2)
• Lead Adult Care Worker (Level 3)
• Lead Practitioner in Adult Care (Level 4)
• Leader in Adult Care (Level 5)
• Healthcare Support Worker (Level 2)
• Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Level 3)

Teaching

• Early Years Educator (Level 3)
• Teaching Assistant (Level 3)

Motor Vehicle

• Motor Vehicle and Service Technician (Level 3)

Construction and Protective Services

• Carpentry and Joinery (Level 2)
• Wood Product Manufacturing Operative (Level 2)
• Advanced Carpentry and Joinery (Level 3)

Customer service and administration

• Customer Service Practitioner (Level 2)
• Customer Service Specialist (Level 3)
• Business Administrator (Level 3)
• Team Leader/Supervisor (Level 3)
• Associate Project Manager (Level 4) - Info coming soon!
• School Business Professional (Level 4)
• Operations or Departmental Manager (Level 5)

General Apprenticeship information

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Applying for an apprenticeship

Visit our Apprenticeship vacancies page for the latest apprenticeship vacancies.

Apprenticeship levels

There are four different levels of apprenticeship:

• Intermediate - equal to five grade 4 (or grade C) GCSE passes.
• Advanced - equal to two A-level passes.
• Higher - equal to the first stages of higher education, such as a foundation degree.
• Degree - comparable to a Bachelors or Masters degree.

Length of apprenticeships

Apprenticeship lengths vary depending on a number of factors:

• Intermediate apprenticeships - last between 1 year and 18 months
• Advanced apprenticeships - last between 18 months and 2 years
• Higher and degree apprenticeships - last between 3 and 6 years

Age limit

You must be at least 16 years old. There's no upper age limit on being an apprentice.

Pay rates

National Apprenticeship Wage

You'll receive the National Apprenticeship Wage if:

• you're aged under 19 and an apprentice
• you're aged 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship

National Minimum Wage

You'll receive the National Minimum Wage if you're aged 19 or over and have completed your first year of your apprenticeship.

For more information, see GOV.UK - Become an apprentice [external link].

Complaints

If you need to make a complaint about your apprenticeship, the procedure is in the document below.

This procedure applies to:

• all apprentices
• all employers working with Learning & Skills

Apprenticeships complaints procedure [pdf document].

Progression maps

An overview of the qualification and progression routes of the apprenticeships.