WHAT IS AN APPRENTICESHIP?

The Benefits: • Choose your career path • Earn while you learn, the current minimum wage for the first year of an apprenticeship is £3.90*. You’re then paid the national minimum wage once you progress onto the second year of your apprenticeship • No student debt to worry about! • Increased career prospects - at the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll have a qualification and valuable experience too • After you complete your apprenticeship, you’ll have gained the skills and knowledge needed to either succeed in your chosen career or progress onto the next apprenticeship level.

An apprenticeship is a paid job with training included, which allows you to earn while you learn. Apprenticeships are tailored around the needs of employers so you’ll gain invaluable experience and develop skills that employers within that industry really want. We have links with fantastic employers across a range of different industries and trades.

*rising to £4.15 in April 2020

For some employers, an apprentice can be really valuable as it shows that you’ve got the skills and knowledge to really hit the ground running!

Matthew Hayes, a plumbing apprentice for Bradford Council won Apprentice of the the Year at Bradford Council Apprenticeship Awards 2019. “I’m proud to win the award. I really like my apprenticeship - I like being able to start a job from scratch and have something to show for it once I’ve finished it.”

You’ll mostly learn through ‘on-the-job’ training. This includes, working within your chosen trade, getting hands-on training from your employer, giving you skills to last a lifetime. Then there’s usually one day a week ‘off-the-job’ training in College. After completing your apprenticeship you can progress to a higher level of apprenticeship, meaning you’ll get a university level qualification without the burden of student debt.