What types of apprenticeships in England are there?
In England, there are four types of apprenticeships: intermediate apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships.
What apprenticeships can I do after my GCSEs?
If you’re about to leave school you will probably be thinking about your career options. If you’ve decided not to stay in full-time education to do A-Levels, you could jump straight into the world of work, take a traineeship, a college course or apply for an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships combine a real job with vocational training and give you the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification that will help you progress in your chosen career.
You can do two types of apprenticeships after you take your GCSEs – Intermediate and Advanced.
Intermediate apprenticeships
Intermediate apprenticeships are Level 2 apprenticeships and usually take 12-18 months to complete. The qualification you gain is equivalent to five GCSEs, or NVQ Level 2. After completing an Intermediate apprenticeship, you can move into full-time work, or apply for an Advanced apprenticeship.
What qualifications do I need for an intermediate apprenticeship?
Entry requirements for Intermediate Apprenticeships in England vary. Some employers ask for two or more GCSEs, but you may not need any formal qualifications. Don’t have English and maths GCSEs? You will need to take qualifications in these subjects as part of the apprenticeship.
What can I do after completing a level 2 apprenticeship?
After completing your Level 2 qualification, you can go on to complete Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships. If the role you want does not need these, you can go on to work and gain more hands-on experience. There may also be other types of training or mentorship schemes available at your place of work.
Advanced apprenticeships
Advanced apprenticeships are Level 3 apprenticeships and usually take 2-4 years to complete. The qualification you gain is equivalent to two A-Levels, or NVQ Level 3. Completing an advanced apprenticeship often means you are qualified to work in certain trades, and you will have a significant amount of experience and skills with which to develop your career.
What qualifications do I need for an advanced apprenticeship?
Entry requirements vary, but you will need at least five GCSEs with grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths.
What can I do after completing an advanced apprenticeship?
You can choose to either go on to complete a Higher Apprenticeship or begin putting your new skills and qualification to work. Not every role requires further study. You may prefer to keep working for a while before doing another qualification.
What if I fail my GCSEs?
All hope is not lost if you don’t get the GCSE grades you need for an Intermediate or Advanced apprenticeship. You can take a traineeship, which can improve your English and Maths skills. Even if you don’t take a traineeship, an employer may accept you for an Intermediate apprenticeship if you have enough work experience or aptitude for the job. The employer may encourage you to re-take your English and Maths GCSEs as part of the apprenticeship, as these qualifications will be important for you to achieve.
What apprenticeships can I do after my A-Levels?
You don’t have to go to university after you have taken your A-Levels. If you want to get started in a career immediately, earn a salary and gain a nationally recognised qualification at the same time, why not start an apprenticeship?
You can do two types of apprenticeships after you take your A-Levels – higher apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships.
Higher apprenticeships
You could bypass an advanced apprenticeship and go straight to a higher apprenticeship. These may feel academically like the right next step after A-Levels, because they are an NVQ Level 4 qualification. Employers usually ask for A-Levels as an entry requirement and may specify a relevant subject.
A higher apprenticeship can take up to five years to complete. Many higher apprenticeships have a permanent job waiting at the end. If the company doesn’t employ you after the apprenticeship, or you choose to look elsewhere, you will still be a highly employable candidate.
The qualification you achieve could be a Higher National Diploma or foundation degree.
What qualification do I need for a higher apprenticeship?
Entry requirements for a higher apprenticeship include at least five GCSEs grades A* – C, including English and maths. This is 9 – 4 on the new grading system.
Employers may also ask for Level 3 qualifications, including A Levels, NVQs, or a BTEC. Some employers expect you to have studied subjects relevant to the apprenticeship. This could include science or engineering.
What can I do after completing a higher apprenticeship?
After a higher apprenticeship, you can move onto a degree apprenticeship, or if you are feeling ready you can begin full time work. Having completed a higher apprenticeship, you will have a greater range of jobs available to you, than if you had only completed an intermediate apprenticeship.
Degree apprenticeships
Are these the holy grail of apprenticeships?
With a degree apprenticeship you get paid to study at a university, while working for your employer. No debts either!
There is no reason why you can’t apply for a degree apprenticeship straight after taking your A-Levels. However, these are Level 6 apprenticeships, and there are not many of them around. The application process is highly competitive and will almost certainly ask for relevant experience in your chosen industry. Degree apprenticeships are more typically aimed at existing employees with a significant amount of work experience. Your employer must be willing to invest in you, as degree apprenticeships are expensive.
Degree apprenticeships take 3-6 years to complete.
What qualifications do I need for a degree apprenticeship?
Degree apprenticeships have varying entry requirements, but typically they require level 3 qualifications. These qualifications can include an advanced apprenticeship, A-Levels, BTEC, or NVQ. However, if you possess industry experience, recent qualifications may not be necessary, or you may require fewer of them.
What can I do after completing a degree apprenticeship?
Upon completing your apprenticeship, you can transition directly into a full-time position within an organization.
What if I fail my A-Levels?
Don’t be too disappointed if you don’t get the grades you wanted in your A-Levels. You can still apply for an advanced apprenticeship, as employers usually only ask for five GCSEs. Or you could consider retaking your A-Levels and reapplying for a higher apprenticeship.
How do I apply for an apprenticeship?
There are lots of ways to search and apply for apprenticeships. You could look on websites like Talentview, TotalJobs, Indeed or the government’s apprenticeship service. You will be able to apply for apprenticeships by uploading your CV or applying directly to the employer.
Top Tip > on Talentview, if you type “advanced apprenticeship” or “higher apprenticeship” (make sure to include the double quotes) in the Keyword search bar you will only see results for advanced or higher apprenticeships.
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