Five questions about apprenticeships

Forget the TV show – there’s no giving 200% and boardroom sackings. Instead it’s a chance to get the skills you need for a future career while earning a qualification at the same time.

As an apprentice you’ll be trained in a skill so you’ll be set to continue working in that industry.

There are apprenticeships in over 170 different professions, from TV production to software design, and from hairdressing to retail sales.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over 16 years old who isn’t already in full-time education.

There’s actually no upper age limit either.

An apprenticeship is part work and part education. So you’ll spend time learning in a college or in training, and then time putting those skills into action with your employer.

Expect both combined to be for between 30 and 40 hours a week, with most of the time spend “on-the-job”. But when you do go to college or training, that would be part of your working week.

Depending on your apprenticeship, it could take between one and five years to complete.

The qualification depends on the level of apprenticeship you take. The Intermediate Apprenticeship is roughly the equivalent to five GCSEs. Most apprentices will take an Advanced Apprenticeship, which is like two A-Levels.

It’s possible to take a higher level apprenticeship – a Higher Apprenticeship – which can be the equivalent of a foundation degree. There are even degree level apprenticeships.

You’ll be paid a salary – but it will probably be less than if you were working full-time elsewhere.

Apprentices under 19, or 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship, get £7.55 an hour until April 2026 when it goes up to £8.00 an hour. 

If you are 19 or over and have completed your first year, then you get the National Minimum Wage instead. Once you're 21, you get the National Living Wage after you finish the first year of your apprenticeship.

The rates change on 1 April every year.

Of course, it’s just a minimum so you could earn more.

You’ll also be entitled to sick pay, holiday pay and other workplace benefits.