What is an Apprenticeship?

An Apprenticeship combines paid work and study to gain qualifications. There are Apprenticeships in many different occupations.

Different types of Apprenticeships are available and the right one for you will depend on your interests, experience and opportunities in your area. All Apprenticeships include the following basic elements:

• National Vocational Qualification – (NVQ) at level 2 or 3 – Assessments will be carried out in the work place to ensure that you are able to do your job according to NVQ guidelines
• Technical Certificate - This provides you with the underpinning knowledge to carry out your role in the work place.
• Key Skills – These are the equivalent to GCSE Maths (Key Skill in Numeracy) and GCSE English (Key Skill Literacy) If you have good, recent GCSE results, you may not need to do these at all.
• Employment Rights and Responsibilities module – (ERR) This provides you of knowledge of legislation and your rights and responsibilities of being an employee (only completed in certain Apprenticeships)
• Enhancements - These are other qualifications or requirements that may be specified by particular occupations, eg First Aid certificate.

What are the Levels of Apprenticeship?

• Apprentice This is a NVQ level 2 Apprenticeship. At this level you will be working under the direction of a supervisor carrying out routine and slightly more complex tasks.
• Advanced Apprentice This is a NVQ level 3 Apprenticeship. At this level you will be taking control of, and responsibility for, more complex tasks. You may also be supervising, or delegating to, other staff.

How Long Does it Take? The time to complete an Apprenticeship depends on the ability of the apprentice, the employer’s requirements and the chosen profession, but they usually last between one and two years for each level.