Apprenticeships offer a great way to acquire knowledge, and the vocational skills and experience needed to enter many careers. They enable you to earn while you learn without incurring student debts, as your training costs are funded by your employer and by the government.

There are many different apprenticeship schemes available across a wide spectrum of industries and professions, ranging from engineering and construction to accounting and nursing. Once accepted, you will be spending at least 50% of your time at work learning from work colleagues and gaining the necessary skills to help you progress, whilst also spending time attending college, university or other training provider as well as online studying.

In England and Wales, there are four levels of apprenticeships available, ranging from one year to five or six years to complete, with many employers offering the chance to progress through the levels.

Apprenticeships will not be the right path for everybody to take as you’ll need to be committed in balancing your academic study with your work commitments. But if you have a clear idea of the career you wish to pursue, then an apprenticeship can provide you with practical on the job training and substantially boost your longer-term career prospects and earnings.

Apprenticeships are being developed and approved all the time, so you can choose the right training for you, you can think about the level and duration of the training and discuss your expectations with the training provider. Don’t accept an apprenticeship because it’s the only one available at the time.