Adult Apprentices
It is a common misconception that Apprenticeships are only for those who are entering the world of work from school or college, when in fact Apprenticeships are available at any age and are a great way to restart your career, change you career or progress in your current career.
View Tameside MBC - Apprenticeship Case Study video with Audio Description (YouTube)
View Seddon Apprentice and Employer Case Study video with Audio Description (YouTube)
How do apprenticeships work?
There are three key parts to an Apprenticeship:
- The apprentice – is employed by an organisation and receives training and support from the Training Provider.
- The employer – provides a contract of employment (this may be a fixed term contract) and has an agreement in place to support the delivery of the Apprenticeship alongside the Apprenticeship Training Provider. The contract of employment will contain the same rights and responsibilities as any other “non-apprentice” e.g. annual leave entitlements.
- The Apprenticeship Training Provider – could be an Independent Training Provider, a Further Education College, an Employer Provider or a University. They provide the apprentice with training and support they need to succeed in their Apprenticeship.
As an apprentice, you are entitled to 20% off the job training to undertake and complete Apprenticeship work. The 20% off the job training could mean you have 1 day a week to do any training, or it could be delivered in “blocks” – this would be decided by the employer and training provider.
Apprenticeship standards outline what the apprentice will be doing in their day to day job role. They contain a list of the skills, knowledge and behaviours an apprentice will need to have learned by the end of their apprenticeship. There are over 500 apprenticeship standards available. You can find and search a list of Apprenticeship Standards here.
Levels
| Name | Level | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate | 2 | 5 GCSE passes at grade A*-C or 9-4 |
| Advanced | 3 | 2 A level passes/Level 3 Diploma/International Baccalaureate |
| Higher | 4, 5, 6 and 7 | Foundation degree and above |
| Degree | 6 and 7 | Bachelor's or master's degree |
Restart your career
If you have taken a break from working, whatever the reason, Apprenticeships can provide you with the tools you need to be able to re-enter the job market.
- The Apprenticeship Pay Survey 2018/19 – England states that the mean salary of an Apprentice 25+ was £9.90 per hour.
- More information on National Apprenticeship Wage and National Minimum Wage.
- How to apply
- One of the best places to start looking is the Find an Apprenticeship website. You can search by what type of Apprenticeship you want to do, as well as the level and location etc.
- You can also look directly at employer's websites. Lots of large employers have a specific page for their apprenticeship programmes.
Change your career
Apprenticeships can be used as a way for you to change career and learn something new! This could be with a new employer, or could be with your current employer. If you are considering changing your career with your current employer e.g. moving departments, this would need to be discussed with your employer
- If you are considering changing your career, it may mean that the National Apprenticeship Wage applies to you, as you would be changing roles.
- The Apprenticeship Pay Survey 2018/19 – England states that the mean salary of an Apprentice 25+ was £9.90 per hour.
- More information on National Apprenticeship Wage and National Minimum Wage.
- How to apply
- One of the best places to start looking is the Find an Apprenticeship website. You can search by what type of Apprenticeship you want to do, as well as the level and location etc.
- If you want to stay with your current employer, start by having a chat with your line manager.
- Your employer may already have an Apprenticeship Training Provider that they work with and if so, they can have a chat with them. If not, then they can start to look on the Find an Apprenticeship Training Provider website.
Progress in your current career
You can use an Apprenticeship to progress in your current career, with agreement from your employer. The Apprenticeship would need to offer clear progression routes and the Training Provider would conduct an initial assessment to determine that there are enough skills, knowledge and behaviours for you to learn throughout the Apprenticeship.
- The National Apprenticeship Wage would not apply to you as you employer cannot decrease your wage if you are staying in the same role. There may also be opportunities for pay rises within your Apprenticeship and employers usually consider this upon completion of an Apprenticeship – this would need to be discussed with your employer.
- How to apply
- If you are considering undertaking an Apprenticeship to progress in your career, start by having a chat with your line manager
- Your employer may already have an Apprenticeship Training Provider that they work with and if so, they can have a chat with them. If not, then they can start to look on the Find an Apprenticeship Training Provider website.