Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a real job with training. All apprentices earn a salary whilst studying towards a nationally recognised qualification.
Some key facts about apprenticeships:
- Apprentices are normally employed for a minimum of 30 hours a week.
- Training is delivered by a training provider (e.g. a college) and is delivered either at the employer’s site, or at a college/training centre.
- You can do an apprenticeship at almost any age – you just need to be at least 16 years old and have finished school.
- From April 2019, the minimum hourly wage for an apprentice is £3.90 per hour, although many employers pay more than this.
- Apprenticeships start at Level 2 (GCSE-equivalent) and go all the way up to Level 7 (Master’s Degree-equivalent).
- Apprenticeships last from 1 to 7 years, depending on your course.
- If you don’t have a GCSE grade A*-C or 4-9 in English and Maths, you will work towards these as part of your apprenticeship. You will study Functional Skills English and Maths. In some cases, you may also study Functional Skills IT.
- Normally, you will need to obtain a Level 1 or Level 2 in your English and Maths Functional Skills. If you have a learning difficulty or disability that means you struggle with English and/or maths, you might only need to achieve Entry 3 in these areas. More information can be found here.
- It is possible to keep your Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) whilst on an apprenticeship. You will still be entitled to annual reviews if you do keep it.
- It is possible to get Access to Work funding for apprenticeships, including for apprenticeship interviews. You can find more information here.
- For more information on Apprenticeships in Stockport, please see here: https://www.stockport.gov.uk/apprenticeships
- You can search and apply for apprenticeship vacancies on the government website:
- www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
- Supported Apprenticeships at are also available with Stockport Council: Click here for more information.