Art & Design Apprenticeships

What are the best apprenticeships for artistic people?

Are you a budding Banksy? Do you have a visual brain? Prefer doodling to solving maths equations? 

An apprenticeship based around art and design could make the most of your talents.

Why Art & Design is useful for apprenticeships

Modern apprenticeships were first conceived to benefit more practical students, helping them to thrive in a vocational role. Although apprenticeships have evolved, they are still an excellent outlet for expression and provide an introduction to creative industries.

Including everything from film, fashion and sculpture to painting, pianos, and computer games, art and design apprenticeships can open up career pathways you’ve only dreamed of and perhaps even some you have never heard of.

For example, your flair for fashion could be utilised as a costume designer, while an eye for scaling could see you become an architect or a model maker.

Transferable skills

Art and design aren’t just about how well you can draw or paint, but they are useful talents that can be applied to many different roles. 

An eye for colour, shape and perspective is intuitive but can be honed and channelled in a particular direction. A creative mind and the discipline to plan and execute your work are as important as the skills involved in the art itself.

Many in the creative industry work on commission or to strict deadlines. It may not be your first thought regarding creativity, but excellent time management is essential. 

Several art and design apprenticeships include advice on how to turn your talents into a profitable enterprise.

Intermediate roles

Sometimes called level 2 apprenticeships, intermediate apprenticeships are, confusingly, the lowest level of apprenticeships. They were designed to facilitate entry into the world of work for school leavers like you and people wanting to follow a new career path. 

Intermediate apprentices earn at least the minimum wage for their age group and typically spend 80% of their time working, with the other 20% devoted to study.

Entry Requirements

The basic requirements for any UK apprentice are:

  • You must be 16 or older
  • You must not be in full-time education
  •  You must have lived in the UK for at least three years and have the right to work

Beyond that, requirements are typically determined by the provider. The usual academic qualifications may not be as important as your passion and your portfolio of work.

Qualifications gained

Completing an intermediate apprenticeship will earn you the equivalent of 5 good GCSE passes.

Entry-level art and design apprenticeships can be found at: 

Advanced/Higher/Degree targeted at A-Level

The next three stages of apprenticeships are advanced (level 3), higher (levels 4 & 5), and degree apprenticeships (levels 6 & 7). 

Entry Requirements

The usual entry requirements for art and design apprenticeships at the higher levels are an intermediate apprenticeship or good GCSE passes in related subjects. You will most likely have created or extended your portfolio at entry level, and this will contribute significantly as part of your application.                        

Qualifications gained

The qualifications earned for each level are as follows:

  • Advanced – 2 A Level passes 
  • Higher – A foundation degree 
  • Degree – A bachelors or Masters degree 

Some highly-rated UK art & design-based advanced and above apprenticeships include:

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Industry Focus

Fashion goes hand in hand with retail, and many aspects exist to explore. It is not just a case of sketching an idea and then hitting the sewing machine. 

Fashion designers work with studio assistants, pattern cutters and textile product technologists to ensure clothes are made to their exact specifications. 

Once the garments are completed, buyers and merchandisers promote and sell their designs, often with the backing of a marketing team. 

A visual merchandiser is classed as a retail position but relies on a person’s eye for creating a pleasing visual experience in the store. This could be a window or mannequin display. You could also train to become a tailor.

Another subset of fashion is costume-making. Costumers are employed by film and television companies to make, source, and alter costumes. 

The Fashion Retail Academy offers Levels 2, 3, 4 and 6 apprenticeship programmes.

Hair and beauty is a huge industry in the UK. The rise of social media and the quest for perfection saw the industry generate £4.56bn in turnover in 2022-2023.

Most UK streets have at least one barber or hairdresser, not to mention nail salons and other beauty treatments such as eyebrow tinting. 

There are several roles and associated apprenticeships that can help you focus on your passion within the wider industry. Hairdressing, beauty therapists, nail services technicians and many more. You can also take apprenticeships in ‘aesthetics’ – non-surgical beauty treatments such as Botox and fillers.

Once qualified, you could work freelance, at a salon, or be a hairdresser or make-up artist for films and television sets. 
You can find hair and beauty apprenticeships at Toni & Guy and the Halls of Ivy Academy.

There is also a place for more traditional artists, from illustrators and painters to art therapists and storyboard artists.

You could bring the characters of a children’s book to life by drawing images that match the words, create or contribute to the stories of beloved comic book heroes and villains or make art that someone will hang on their wall.

From creating original work to restoring historical pieces, curating galleries, and using art to aid recovery from physical or mental illness, there are many opportunities for talented artists in the UK. 

Organisations such as the Arts Council and Creative Alliance offer apprenticeships.

Other Opportunities 

Other careers you could consider include:

  • Interior designer
  • Architect
  • Arborist
  • Florist
  • Model maker
  • Sculptor
  • Painter
  • Furniture maker
  • Bookbinder

Conclusion

Creativity is just as essential as logic or business acumen. Whether you use your hands, a computer or a combination, the ability to execute a creative vision and bring it into being is an invaluable skill. An arts & design-based apprenticeship could help you to take your talents to the next level.

If you want to learn more about creative apprenticeships in your area, please use our search function to filter by subject and location.

For any other queries, please contact us, and we will respond as soon as we can.

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