Apply for an apprenticeship

Anyone in England can apply for an apprenticeship if they’re:

• 16 or over
• eligible to work in England
• not in full-time education

First search for a vacancy on the Apprenticeships website, then register on the site and apply.

Apprenticeships take between 1 and 4 years to complete depending on their level.

Work and study

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study.

An apprentice:

• works alongside experienced staff
• gains job-specific skills
• earns a wage
• studies towards a related qualification (usually 1 day a week)

Levels of apprenticeship

There are 3 levels in England:

• Intermediate – equivalent to 5 GCSE passes
• Advanced – equivalent to 2 A level passes
• Higher – lead to NVQ Level 4 and above or a Foundation Degree

Read more information on the levels of apprenticeships on the Apprenticeships website.

Qualifications

Apprenticeships can lead to:

• National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at Level 2,3,4 or 5
• Functional Skills qualifications, eg in maths, English or ICT
• a technical certificate, such as a BTEC or City & Guilds Progression Award
• knowledge-based qualifications, such as a Higher National Certificate (HNC), a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a Foundation degree

Find out about apprenticeships in Scotland and Wales.

Pay and right to minimum wage

Apprentices are paid from the first day of their apprenticeship and they’re entitled to the National Minimum Wage.

The current minimum wage rate for an apprentice is £2.68 per hour. This rate applies to apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year.

Apprentices aged 19 or over who have completed their first year must be paid at least the minimum wage rate for their age.

Use the National Minimum Wage calculator to check if an apprentice is being paid the minimum wage.

Hours apprentices are paid for

Apprentices must be paid for:

• their normal working hours (minimum 30 hours per week)
• training that is part of the apprenticeship (usually 1 day per week)

Example

Tim is an apprentice aged 17 and works 35 hours per week including 1 day of training.

?Apprentice rate: £2.68 per hour x 35

Total Tim gets paid per week: £93.80

Holidays

Apprentices get at least 20 days of paid holiday per year, plus bank holidays.

Use the holiday calculator to check holiday entitlement for apprentices.

Help and advice

Apprentices can contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline for free and confidential advice on their rights at work.

Pay and Work Rights Helpline
Enquiry form
Complaint form
Telephone: 0800 917 2368
Textphone: 0800 121 4042
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Find out about call charges

Recruiting apprentices

The Apprenticeships website shows the steps to get an apprenticeship started.

The Skills Development Scotland website has advice for employers in Scotland.

Apprentices and the minimum wage

Employers must make sure they pay apprentices at least the current minimum wage rate. If an apprentice is 19 or over and past their first year they’re entitled to the worker rate for their age.

Use the National Minimum Wage calculator to check if an apprentice is being paid the minimum wage.

Apprenticeship grants for employers

Employers may be eligible for a £1,500 apprenticeship grant.

These grants are available to help small-medium sized employers to recruit a new apprentice aged 16 to 24. Employers can claim support for up to 10 apprentices. The grants are in addition to any training costs for apprentices the employer might get and don’t have to be paid back.

Funding for training apprentices

Employers can also apply for funding to cover training costs for apprentices. This is paid directly to the organisation that provides and supports the apprenticeship - in most cases the learning provider.

The amount depends on their sector and the age of the candidate:

• aged 16 to 18 - 100% of cost paid, up to Advanced level (level 3)
• aged 19 to 24 - 50% of cost paid
• 25 years and older - employers may only get a contribution