Apprenticeship structure
Pay - Are apprenticeships paid?
Yes, apprenticeships are paid just like normal jobs - after all, the main benefit of an apprenticeship is getting paid to learn.
The pay for apprenticeships vary depending on where you live, what level you are enrolled on and the sector you’re working in. Some apprenticeships can start at £16,000 per year, right up to £25,000+. The top end of this salary range is competitive with some university graduate jobs, showing how great of an option an apprenticeship is.
With an apprenticeship, they are subject to minimum wage legislation but differ slightly.
- Age 16 - 18 = £5.28 per hour
- Age 19+ in your first year = £5.28 per hour
- Age 19+ completed first year = entitled to the national minimum wage for your age
Correct as of May 2023 - keep up with the latest pay rates on our legislation page
When does an apprentice wage go up? Typically, your wage/salary will go up at one of three stages:
- After each year of completion (i.e. goes up after 1,2, and 3 years of service)
- Goes up after you complete your apprenticeship (i.e. jumps form £19,000 to £24,000)
- Each time you complete a qualification/exam season
Depending on your business and circumstances, you may also be entitled to company-wide pay rises and/or bonuses too.
Work hours - Are apprenticeships full time?
Apprenticeships will be full time, but will vary depending on the business and what you will be doing. As we previously mentioned and will discuss in Work/Study balance, you will be studying for a minimum of 20% of your internship (i.e. 1 out of a 5 day work week).
Your employer’s full time working day may be 9am-5pm with 30 minutes for lunch, or you may start at 8am, or finish later than 5pm - it all depends on the routine of the business.
The job advert will usually list how many hours a week you will be working (i.e. 37.5 hours a week), but if you’re unsure then be sure to ask in the interview, along with our range of other questions you can ask in an interview .
Timeline and duration - How long does an apprenticeship last?
Apprenticeships are usually between 1 and 3 years long, but they will vary depending on the amount of training that is involved and can even go up to 7 years long in order to gain a top qualification (i.e. become a qualified lawyer).
An intermediate apprenticeship will likely be shorter than a degree apprenticeship, purely because of how many years you are required to study for a university degree.
Working tasks - What does an apprentice do?
As an apprentice, you will get hands on with real life projects as part of your role. The whole focus of an apprenticeship is ensuring that you gain hands-on experience, not just learning in the classroom.
Whether this is helping the marketing team launch a new product, cutting customers hair as a hairdresser, or going out on jobs fixing homeowners heating systems as a plumber - it is all valuable real world experience.
Work/Study balance - What does an apprenticeship involve?
An apprenticeship requires a minimum of 20% (or ⅕) to be studying/training, with the remainder being working. With that being a minimum, some apprenticeships may be more (such as 50/50). Many apprenticeship schemes will change their mix of study & work as you jump from year 1, to year 2, to year 3 and so on.
Example for a 5 day working week:
- Year 1 = learning 3 days - working 2 days
- Year 2 = learning 2 days - working 3 days
- Year 3 = learning 1 day - working 4 days
If you’re unsure on this, be sure to ask in the interview so there are no surprises when you start.
Age limits - Are apprenticeships for any age?
As long as you are over the age of 16, apprenticeships are for anyone. As long as you meet the entry requirements for the apprenticeship level and the business, you can enrol on an apprenticeship at any time.
