Apprenticeships

Levels of apprenticeships

In England, the level you start at will depend on the qualifications you already have and the requirements of the employer. You can progress up through the levels for some jobs and career areas. You can also progress onto other further and higher education courses, including degrees and postgraduate courses. So don’t assume you’re limiting future choices by deciding on an apprenticeship at this stage.

Different organisations deal with apprenticeships in Scotland and apprenticeships in Wales.

Below is an overview of each level:

Availability of apprenticeships

A common misconception is that apprenticeships are only available in manual industries. While this might once have been the case, it’s definitely no longer true. Most job sectors offer apprenticeship opportunities in various locations throughout the UK and in various roles within each sector. 

Fancy a career as a solicitor or in the investments and finance sectors? There’s an apprenticeship for that. What about a role in healthcare as a nurse? There’s an apprenticeship for that too. How about working with some of the biggest brands in a forward-thinking marketing department? You guessed it, there’s an apprenticeship for that too. 

Whatever sector or role you’re interested in, there’s a high chance that there is an apprenticeship available to help you take the first step towards your career goals. Why not put aside some time to look into the qualifications and demands for the roles that take your interest and see if there is a route to securing that role through an apprenticeship. 

Information about the M&G Apprenticeship Scheme can be found here.

University VS apprenticeships

Deciding on your next steps can be a challenge. You may be asking yourself ‘do I carry on with my studies and go to university, or do I enter the world of work and complete an apprenticeship?’

We can’t answer this question for you. It’s your decision to make. However, the following questions may help you organise your thoughts.

• What are the main benefits for each option?
• Which environment will you thrive in?
• Which subjects are on offer?
• What will you learn? How will you learn? And does this suit your learning style?
• What job opportunities are available, both in the short-term and long-term?

You can also reach out to your network to ask advice from someone who has gone to university and someone who has completed an apprenticeship. They should be able to share personal insight that you wouldn’t find online, and offer you an opportunity to talk through your thoughts. If you do not have someone in your network, why not find out about local businesses in your area that offer apprenticeships and reach out to see if there is a member of the team who you can meet or talk to.

If you would like to talk to someone in the M&G Apprenticeships department, please get in touch here.

You can also read more about how to weigh up your options in the Future You section of this site.

Applying for an apprenticeship

If you've decided an apprenticeship is for you and have made a list of roles that you would love to do, now might be the time to make a start on your applications. The actual process is not dissimilar from applying for other non-apprentice roles.

You will normally have to write a CV and covering letter explaining why you are the right person for the role and why you want to work for that specific company. Be positive, make sure your passion comes through and highlight your best qualities that are relevant to the role.

Try and think of relevant experience you may have, for example other jobs you’ve done or hobbies you have. Even things you may not feel are very important may have helped you build skills that make you stand out from other applicants. An example of this could be proving you are reliable by collecting your siblings from school, showing leadership and teamwork skills by looking after people younger than you, or showing honesty and resilience by completing a paper round in the cold, dark winter months. All your experiences in life are a chance to learn and develop new skills which employers will be looking for.

Click here for more information on how to improve your employability in your spare time.

Once you’ve submitted your application, make a note of the closing date in your calendar or diary. This should give you some indication of when you can expect to hear back from the company, and allow you to keep track of what you have applied for. 

If you don’t hear back, or your application is unsuccessful, try not to take it too personally. View it as a redirection, rather than a rejection and understand that there are usually lots of people applying for each vacancy. You can always apply for more than one role to increase your chances of success, and try to think of each application as a great way to build your knowledge of the recruitment process. 

If you are shortlisted, then you may be invited to complete a series of interviews that can include phone, video, face-to-face, group and panel interviews. It may seem daunting but remember interviews are a two-way process. It's a chance for you to figure out if the company is the right fit for you, just as much as it’s a chance for them to find out if you’re right for this particular role. 

If all goes well, your employer will offer you a formal employment contract. They will also find a training provider that is best suited to deliver the training for your apprenticeship.

What happens after an apprenticeship?

You’ve put in the hard work and completed your apprenticeship. What next? 

You may transfer the skills you’ve learnt into a new role at the same company. Or, you might use the qualifications you’ve gained as a stepping-stone into a higher-level role in a new company or a new sector. You might even choose to take a completely different direction in your career journey. 

Whatever you decide, take a moment to pause and reflect on the positive ways a potential employer will view you after you have completed your apprenticeship:

• you will have some fantastic work experience to add to your CV;

• you will have a strong understanding of the sector you’ve worked in and the different roles available;

• you will have an industry recognised qualification;

• you will have shown commitment by starting something and seeing it through to the end;

• you will have shown that you can balance work, study and your social life; and

• you will have made useful contacts that you can maintain and utilise in your career.

So, what now?

The activities below have all been designed to help you get fully ready to take your next steps - whatever pathway you choose to take. Each set of activities ranges from a short activity which should take no more than 30 minutes, through to portfolio activities, which are longer, project-based tasks. The more time you spend on each activity, the more you'll get out of it, but you should be able to find something each week to fit into your schedule.

Why not start with the short activity first and then work your way through the remaining activities until you’ve completed them all?

Short activity

Do you know where to find out about apprenticeship opportunities? A good place to start is the Government website. Here you can search and apply for an apprenticeship by job title, location and apprenticeship level.

Find out what apprenticeships are running in your area and write down answers to the following questions:

• Are there a wide variety of apprenticeships available? Think about sectors, roles, levels.
• Are there any restrictions to applying? Think about grades, qualifications, training courses.
• Are there any that you think sound like a good fit for you? Think about the skills and experience you already have, or others that you could develop.

You should see that there is a large, varied list of apprenticeship roles available. It is highly likely that there is something out that that is right for you!

Main activity

Split your page into different job sectors (e.g., creative arts and design, environment and agriculture, healthcare and so on).

• Find out about different apprenticeship opportunities in those sectors.
• Include key information for each opportunity such as salary, experience and qualifications.

You may find that some apprenticeship schemes could sit in more than one sector. For example, a digital marketing apprenticeship for the NHS Trust could be viewed as both ‘PR and communication’ and ‘healthcare’.

As with an undergraduate degree, the transferrable skills you gain from an apprenticeship scheme can open doors to opportunities later in life and allow you to move across sectors and roles.

Portfolio

Create a game that focuses on apprenticeships. It should be clear, informative and (most importantly) fun!

One idea could be to create ‘Top Trumps’ for different apprenticeship schemes. Each card should contain the following information for that scheme: 

• Pre-requisites: Do you need any prior training (e.g., to complete a foundation course)

• Salary: Is the apprenticeship paid? If so, how much?

• Qualifications: Will you get a qualification/certificate at the end? Is it an industry recognised qualification? 

• Duration: How long is the apprenticeship for? 

• Retention: Is there a guarantee of full-time employment at the end?

Play this game with friends and family. It can be a great way to start a conversation about apprenticeships and will help those within your support network become better informed should you choose to follow this route.

PSHE lesson

Ask students to work in groups to design an advert for a particular type of apprenticeship. For example, you could ask each group to focus on an apprenticeship from a different sector or for a different role.

• The aim of the advert is to attract applications from people their age and can be in any format they choose – posters, spoken word pieces, TV advertisements, and so on.
• Each group will have to present their advert at the end of the lesson.

The most informative and persuasive team wins!