What is an Apprenticeship?

What is an Apprenticeship?

If you don’t think university is the right path for you, then an apprenticeship might be just what you are looking for. In essence, an apprenticeship is a job. You’ll spend 80% of the working week at your place of employment, and 20% at your place of study. You’ll earn a salary, and your course fees will be covered by your employer and the government. You just need to be willing to manage your time between work and study. There are many different apprenticeships you can apply for depending on your existing qualifications across a broad range of different industries.

There are different types of apprenticeship depending on which level of study you are doing: Intermediate, advanced, higher and degree apprenticeships. Start at a level to suit you, with support if you have special needs or a disability.

What types of Apprenticeship are available?

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Degree Apprenticeships (Level 6)

A degree apprenticeship is a job combined with a university degree, meaning you’ll be working for an employer most of the time and studying at university or college for the rest. This can be on a day-to-day basis or in blocks of time, depending on the programme and requirements of the employer. Students can achieve a full bachelor's or master's degree as part of their apprenticeship.

These programmes are being developed by employers, universities, and professional bodies working in partnership.

They can take between three to six years to complete, depending on the course level.

Duration: 3 to 6 years

Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4/5)

A higher apprenticeship is equivalent to a foundation degree. Like any apprenticeship, it’s a full-time job with a study element – typically a 30-hour working week, plus a day of study. This might be at college, uni, at work via distance learning, or online. You get paid, your tuition fees are covered by your employer (and the Government), and you get a little slice of student life to boot.

Duration: Up to 5 years

Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3)

Level 3 or 'advanced' apprenticeships are generally considered to be equivalent to 2 A level passes. An apprenticeship is a real job, so you’ll also need to meet any other criteria set out by the employer. Entry requirements are different depending on the employer and the role, but generally, Level 2 apprenticeships don’t require any formal qualifications.

If you don’t already have GCSEs in English and maths, you will need to take functional skills as part of the apprenticeship, which is an alternative to GCSEs.

Duration: Approximately 24 months.

Intermediate Apprenticeship

Intermediate Apprenticeships are the first level of apprenticeship although slightly confusing, these are referred to as 'level 2' apprenticeships. An intermediate Apprenticeships is equivalent to five good GCSE passes. Apprenticeships work towards work-based learning qualifications such as an NVQ level 2, Key Skills and in most cases a relevant knowledge based qualification such as a BTEC.

An apprenticeship is a real job, so you’ll also need to meet any other criteria set out by the employer. Entry requirements are different depending on the employer and the role, but generally, Level 2 apprenticeships don’t require any formal qualifications.

If you don’t already have GCSEs in English and maths, you will need to take functional skills as part of the apprenticeship, which is an alternative to GCSEs.

Duration: 12-18 months

Want to find out more about apprenticeships?

The neaco Higher and Degree Apprenticeship brochure to has a wealth of information about key features of apprenticeships, entry requirements, how to apply for an apprenticeship and more.

neaco Higher and Degree Apprenticeship brochure

You can also visit out Apprenticeships resource section to access our apprenticeship podcasts, worksheets, case-studies and more.

Apprenticeships resource section

Useful links

SACU

Amazing Apprenticeships

Help You Choose

UCAS

Read about a Day in the life of an Apprentice

Read our two case studies to find out what being an apprentice is like from two apprentices Poppy and Maddy.

Day in the Life of an Engineering Apprentice - Poppy

Day In The Life Of A Risk-Management Apprentice - Maddie

Mythbusting

In this video student ambassadors and careers advisors Sanna and Amy from Uniconnect partnership HOP (Humber Outreach Programme) talk you though the common myths that surround apprenticeships. Busting Myths such as:-

I can only do an apprenticeship if I am school leaver.
You can't go to university if you do and apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships are the easy option.
You can only do an apprenticeship in a vocational subject.

Ready to apply?

Head to our Apprenticeship resource section for loads of tips on how to write an effective CV and Cover letter and how to prepare for an interview.

Podcasts

This collection of podcasts is a series of discussions between Take Your Place staff and a range of students, professionals and others about various aspects of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

TakeYourPlace · Take Your Apprenticeship

Find an apprenticeship

Search and apply for an apprenticeship on GOV.UK

Like any job listings, apprenticeship vacancies are listed on multiple sites. Employers will list apprenticeship vacancies on their own websites too. Also check out these to ensure you are conducting a broad search. It is highly recommended that you sign up for vacancy alerts if the website allows you to do so.

Apprenticeship Explorer

There are so many apprenticeship opportunities out there that it can be a bit overwhelming.

But thanks to SACU’s apprenticeship explorer dashboard, you can explore with just a few clicks! What apprenticeships can you do at certain levels? How long do the courses last? How much might you get paid? Have a play!