Taking that first step towards your dream career can be tough.
With so much to figure out, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. How do you know what to do, who to talk to, or where to even start…
Luckily, help is on hand. We’ve taken the best advice and knowledge from our apprenticeship career experts and produced the ultimate guide to landing your perfect apprenticeship!
Apprentice Levels Explained
Intermediate apprenticeships
Intermediate apprenticeships are recognised as a level 2 qualification. Completing a standard intermediate apprenticeship is like getting 5 GCSE passes.
You could find yourself applying for an intermediate apprenticeship if you struggled with some of your GCSE subjects. Alternatively, you could apply for an intermediate apprenticeship in a completely new field or subject that you don’t know much about.
Although intermediate apprenticeships are equivalent to GCSEs, many will require that you have (or continue to study) English and maths to GCSE level.
Advanced apprenticeships
Advanced apprenticeships are recognised as a level 3 qualification. Completing an advanced apprenticeship is like getting 2 A level passes.
You can apply for an advanced apprenticeship after you have completed your GCSEs. Rather than going to college full time, this type of apprentice work would see you gaining valuable work experience, going to college only one day a week.
An advanced apprenticeship might also be relevant for an existing A level student wanting to move into a new field or subject. Of course, you can also qualify for an advanced course by completing an intermediate apprenticeship.
Higher apprenticeships
Higher apprenticeships are equivalent to Foundation degrees. Foundation degrees are like stepping stones between A levels and Bachelor’s degrees. They help people study for a particular subject and get them ready for a degree.
Higher apprenticeships are a great way to gain an expertise in a particular subject, and the qualifications achieved are held in high regard across many industries.
You could apply for a Higher apprenticeship if you want to eventually work towards a degree in a subject.
Degree apprenticeships
Degree apprenticeships are equivalent to a Bachelors or Masters degree. It is a degree that is normally sponsored by both a company and a university.
A degree apprenticeship can be a great way into an established company. You can earn a wage while also picking up a degree, without any of the usual costs of university.
Often a degree apprenticeship will be developed by a company and a university looking for a certain type of skill. These are available in many types of technical and knowledge industries, where degree-level expertise is required.