If you want to be an apprentice you can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school.

To start one, you’ll need to be:·
       
• 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays·          
• Living in England·          
• Not in full-time education

• Apprentices must be employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week.

• You’ll be paid during your apprenticeship.

• You’re entitled to the National Minimum Wage.

• The current minimum wage rate for an apprentice is £5.28 as of 1st April 2023.

• This rate applies to apprentices under 19 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year.

• You must be paid at least the minimum wage rate for your age if you’re an apprentice aged 19 or over and have completed your first year.

• To be an Apprentice you have to be employed with a company that will give you the experience to be able to complete your Apprenticeship by working 4 days each week. You will be paid a wage and attend college 1 day a week, or on a block release basis (course dependant).

• To undertake an Apprenticeship you will have to be at a certain level in English and Numeracy.

• Apprenticeships have been designed with the help of employers within the specific trades, so the standard of training can be maintained and accepted by many companies.

• Work based competence is reviewed throughout the apprenticeship. This is to see whether you can complete tasks at the required standard. You will be assigned an assessor at the point of signing up on to the Apprenticeship programme. Your assessor will have done your job over many years, and they will support you throughout your qualification.

An assessment of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that have been learnt throughout the apprenticeship. The purpose of the assessment is to make sure you meet the standard set by employers and are fully competent in the occupation. It is taken at the very end of the on-programme phase of training when your employer (and in some cases their training provider) is satisfied that they have met the “gateway” criteria to undertake the assessment. End-point assessments are graded and successful completion leads to the awarding of an apprenticeship certificate.

Functional Skills are practical skills in English, Maths and ICT. Functional Skills provide an individual with essential knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life and work. You may be exempt if your GCSE grades are A-C / 9-4 or you have already completed Functional Skills.