Apprenticeships for learners

What is an apprenticeship*?

With an Apprenticeship, you can earn a salary while learning the key skills and behaviours you need to advance in your career. You’ll develop practical experience on the job, while simultaneously studying for a professional qualification.

Apprenticeships aren’t just for school leavers anymore, if you’re aged 16 or over, you can progress your career with an Apprenticeship in a variety of industries. You can start with an Intermediate Apprenticeship (Levels 2-3), and progress all the way up to a Degree-Level Apprenticeship (Level 6) and a Masters-Level Degree (Level 7)**.

*Please be aware that this information is for England only.
**You will not receive a masters degree upon completion of a Level 7 Apprenticeship

How does it work?

Every Apprenticeship, regardless of sector or level, is now designed around a specific job role. For that job role, employers have determined what are the key Knowledge areas employees need to know and the key Skills and Behaviours employees need to demonstrate to prove they are competent in that role. These Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours are then listed and described in what’s called an Apprenticeship ‘standard’.

Essentially, whilst you are on the Apprenticeship you are working to learn the knowledge (usually through completion of a professional qualification) and develop and demonstrate the skills and behaviours (through workshops, 1-2-1s, e-learning and been shown new skills in the workplace).

At the end of the Apprenticeship, you must then demonstrate everything you’ve learned in an End Point Assessment, which will be independently assessed. This then gives you and your employer the confidence that you have met the standard required for that particular job role and help to progress your career.

View our guide for parents and career advisors ›

Getting you the right apprenticeship...

We want to make sure that an apprenticeship is right for you and your future career. To make sure that you're on the right track we've created a process to help us to build a picture of your current ability and understanding, and to plan the right Apprenticeship programme for you. You'll simply be asked to complete a short questionnaire, which we would like you to complete honestly, giving as much information as you can. All answers are for our use only and won't be shared with your employer.