If you are leaving school this year and do not wish to continue in full-time education, you will likely be thinking about potential jobs and/or apprenticeships.
Equally, you may be older but want to improve your professional prospects by starting on a new or more interesting career path.
There are many minimum wage jobs you can get without having any prior experience – such as bartending, waiting staff and retail assistants.
However, without prior experience and qualifications, you are unlikely to be able to progress your career quickly. You can try to gain experience through volunteering or arranging work experience with a local business. But it is likely to be short-term, unpaid, and will not help you acquire any qualifications.
That’s why we believe an entry-level apprenticeship can be the best of both worlds, offering a chance to earn a minimum wage straight away while also continuing to gain qualifications.
Entry-Level Apprenticeships
Also known as Level 2 apprenticeships or intermediate apprenticeships, entry-level apprenticeships help primarily young people take their first step in their chosen profession.
Despite the number in the name, they are the lowest level of apprenticeship available in the UK and give anyone aged 16+ the opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’.
The only other requirements are that you are not in full-time education, and are a UK citizen or eligible to live and work in the UK.
Intermediate apprenticeships typically last 1-2 years and will help you earn the qualification equivalent of 5 good GCSE passes, with the added bonus of being relevant to your chosen industry.
Catering particularly to school leavers with little to no experience and no qualifications, there are many Level 2 apprenticeships available in all sorts of areas of business.
Search intermediate apprenticeships right now, or read on for more inspiration.
Learn a Trade
Originally, the majority of apprenticeships focused on teaching ‘a trade’ to young people who perhaps did not perform quite as well as their peers academically. The nature of apprenticeships has evolved, but Level 2 apprenticeships still exist across a large number of traditional trades, such as:
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Welding
- Engineering
- Construction
- Hair & Beauty
- Cookery & Catering
- Gardening & Landscaping
- Train driving
- Mechanics
- Agriculture & Environment
Other Intermediate Apprenticeships
Don’t worry if none of those options appeals to you. New apprenticeships are created every year, spanning increasingly specific roles in just about every industry, including:
- Finance & Accounting
- Law & Legal Services
- Business Administration
- Hospitality, Travel, Tourism & Leisure
- Marketing & Sales
- Manufacturing
- Arts, Media & Publishing
- Digital & IT
- Retail
- Education & Childcare
- Healthcare
- Social Care
- Animal Care
- Energy & Sustainability
- Government & Civil Service
- Transport
- Sports & Fitness
- Supply Chain & Logistics
- Science & Pharmacy
5 examples of no experience required Apprenticeships
The most important thing is to choose an apprenticeship in something that holds your interest and you think you might be good at.
If you’re not sure of your strengths and weaknesses, ask friends and family or a teacher for an honest assessment.
Think about the activities you enjoy, the kind of content you gravitate to and any skills you have that may be transferable.
Personal Trainer
For example, if physical fitness is your passion, you could start your journey to becoming a personal trainer with a Fitness Instructing Level 2 apprenticeship. You can then go on to complete a Level 3 Personal Trainer apprenticeship to earn a licence as a Personal Trainer Practitioner Member of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Baker
If you prefer to spend your free time in the kitchen, a Level 2 baking apprenticeship could be a good fit. Over 18 months, you will learn all the skills required for in-house or independent baking and confectionery. Upon completion, you could work in a bakery, in a supermarket or store, or for a catering company.
Gardener
Those with green fingers should look into Level 2 Horticultural or Arborist Apprenticeships with companies such as The National Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society. A passion for plants, enthusiasm and a decent level of physical fitness are often all that is required to start your journey to becoming a gardener, landscaper or arborist.
Construction Worker
The Groundworker Level 2 apprenticeship is designed to teach school leavers and those with no experience how to prepare construction sites for building and interpret design specifications.
Hairdresser
Last but not least, hair and beauty is a huge industry that is relatively easy to join. Programmes such as the Level 2 Hairdressing Professional apprenticeship teach the skills needed to offer customers a personalised and professional service, including cutting, colouring and styling hair.
Some Level 2 apprenticeships may ask for GCSEs in English and Maths but enable you to achieve the grades as part of your apprenticeship programme. Alternatively, you could try to get a traineeship first.
Traineeships
Usually run by local employers, traineeships are somewhere between work experience and an apprenticeship.
Designed for young people (16-24) traineeships can help you to secure a Level 2 apprenticeship by focusing on three key areas:
- Passing GCSEs in the core subjects of English and Maths
- Working a minimum of 70 hours with a local business to enhance practical and interpersonal skills
- Preparation for joining the workforce – interview training, advice on CV and cover letter writing, and workplace health and safety classes
Traineeships are not the same as apprenticeships, where apprentices will earn at least the minimum wage for their age group.
With a traineeship, it is up to the employer to decide whether to pay you a wage and, if so, how much.
Traineeships offer other benefits, including real-world experience in a workplace setting, the chance to learn new skills, and the opportunity to make connections in your chosen industry.
If you feel you need a little help before applying for an apprenticeship, a traineeship could be a good option.
You can find out if there are any traineeships available in your area by contacting local businesses, checking websites and job boards and attending career fairs.
Adult Apprenticeships
Perhaps you are at the other end of the spectrum, left school with no GCSEs and worked in a job with no progression for a few years?
Don’t worry. There is no maximum age limit for most UK apprenticeships (unless stated due to health and fitness).
Adult apprenticeships were designed for those over 25 who want to embark on a new career path and lack the necessary experience and qualifications.
You can apply for any Level 2 apprenticeships mentioned above, and many more, as an over-25.
Next Steps
Once you have completed a Level 2 apprenticeship, you will have improved your career prospects. You may be offered a junior position with the company you were working for or a competitor. You can also continue your studies and gain more experience by continuing onto a Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship or college or university.
Relax. We’ll send the jobs to you.
Reckon you know what you want to do, but can’t find the perfect role? Most companies hire their apprentices in a ‘recruitment window’. This means many great jobs are only available for a short time once or twice each year.
Sign up for our job alerts service, and we’ll send you any jobs that fit your search criteria.
