The short answer is yes!
Anyone aged 16 and over could be eligible for an apprenticeship, including school leavers, graduates, career changers, and people looking to grow and develop within their current job.
Anyone can start an apprenticeship regardless of their circumstances, even if you already possess a previous qualification such as a degree, you are still eligible to complete an apprenticeship. Many apprentices these days aren’t your typical school leaver like most people assume, you can complete an apprenticeship at any age, to upskill your current job, or if you want a change in your career path altogether, there are apprenticeships available for everyone in a variety of different career categories for all skill levels and age ranges.
To start an apprenticeship, you need to be:
• Aged 16 or over
• Living in England
• Not in full-time education
If you’re based outside of England but within the UK you may still be eligible for an apprenticeship within your part of the UK, so don’t rule yourself out of the mix just yet.
Am I too old for an apprenticeship?
Not at all!
Apprenticeships are a dynamic way of retraining people of all ages. There’s usually no upper age limit on when a person can become an apprentice, it usually comes down to each individual’s personal preference and whether you feel it would benefit your development to partake in one.
What does it mean to be an apprentice?
In short… You earn whilst you learn.
As an apprentice, you will…
• Be employed by a company in your chosen field.
This means you will be earning a wage from said company and be entitled to holiday days. Wages can vary depending on the apprentice’s age and if the employer chooses to pay the national minimum wage or a high rate of pay.
• Be gaining on-the-job experience and learning specific skills from your colleagues in your line of work whilst working on the job.
• Get time off from work for training and studying related to your job role, this usually is equal to 20% of your contracted hours.
The aim being, that by the completion of your apprenticeship, you will have the right skill set and knowledge needed to be able to successfully work within your chosen career path as well as having gained a qualification within that field also.
How long is an Apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships can be as short as 1 year or as long as 5, this is dependent on the course you are undertaking and the level it sits at.
What are the levels of an Apprenticeship?
| Level | Equivalent educational level | |
| Intermediate | 2 | GCSE |
| Advanced | 3 | A level |
| Higher | 4,5,6 &7 | Foundation degree and above |
| Degree | 6 & 7 | Bachelor’s or master’s degree |
How do I apply for an apprenticeship?
Some apprentices take the route of finding an apprenticeship training provider first, then leaving it up too the training provider to find a suitable company to take you on as an apprentice.
Others go down the route of directly approaching an employer who is looking to hire an apprentice.
People who are already working with a company and choose to take on an apprenticeship to further their skills and grow within their career, need to talk to their employer about the possible options they have in regards to funding etc within the company.
To conclude
Yes, you can do an apprenticeship!
Take some time to think about what subject you would like a career path in, then research what apprenticeship course would be best to complete in order to get you to where you ultimately want to be.
Click here to Follow us on Twitter for the latest news and information on Apprenticeships.
#Apprenticeships #Apprenticeship #Apprentices #ApprenticeNow #ApprenticeTips.com
