English Apprenticeships
What are the best apprenticeships for people who enjoy English?
Are you a wordsmith? Can you sum up a product or service with a few well-chosen adjectives? Do you love to read or long to write?
You should consider an apprenticeship in English.
Why English is useful for apprenticeships
Along with maths, English is one of the core subjects usually required to apply for an apprenticeship.
Applicants to UK apprenticeships must have an excellent grasp of spoken and written English, expressed as an A-C GCSE or equivalent.
At school, you may have studied English Language, English Literature, both combined or as separate subjects.
If you have shown an aptitude for English, several UK apprenticeships might pique your interest.
The ability to turn thoughts and ideas into coherent narratives or distil complex information so that it can be easily understood by your audience is a highly prized skill that you could turn into an exciting and lucrative career.
Transferable skills
You will have engaged in different types of writing and communication while at school. While you may not have written a novel or copy for an advert, you will almost certainly have written essays. The best writers can turn their hand to any subject and sound like experts.
This undoubtedly takes practice, plus a natural talent, but you can develop your writing skills in your own time.
Research is another skill important for English-based apprenticeship. When writing any type of content, you should always research your subject thoroughly and check your facts against reliable sources.
Being creative and enthusiastic may already be qualities you possess.
If you are accepted into an English-based apprenticeship scheme, you will learn other skills more specific to your area of employment and study.
Intermediate roles
Also known as level 2 apprenticeships, intermediate apprenticeships are the first level of apprenticeships, principally designed for school leavers like you.
They offer the chance to earn a fair wage and be gainfully employed while studying for an industry qualification.
Although ‘English’ is too broad a subject for an apprenticeship, there are many apprenticeships based on the ability to communicate effectively.
Entry Requirements
To be eligible for a UK apprenticeship, you:
- Must be 16 or older
- Not be in full-time education
- Must be a UK citizen/have lived in the UK for at least 3 years and have the right to work.
Other requirements will vary depending on the company and the role, but good pass marks in English, Maths, and sometimes Science are typically on the list. To work in an educational environment, you will need to pass a DBS check. To be a journalist, you may need to complete exams in basic law and politics.
Qualifications gained
You will earn the equivalent of 5 good GCSE passes.
Some interesting English-based intermediate UK apprenticeships include:
Up to date on apprenticeships?
Join the talent community to receive relevant vacancies straight to your email inbox.
Advanced/Higher/Degree targeted at A-Level
If you have completed an intermediate apprenticeship or got the relevant GCSE passes, you can look into advanced, higher, and even degree apprenticeships.
Entry Requirements
As mentioned, your GCSEs or an intermediate apprenticeship will make you eligible to apply for an advanced apprenticeship. Typically, higher and degree-level apprenticeships require A-levels. In some cases, you can study for the passes needed as part of your apprenticeship programme, so you are not necessarily excluded if you don’t have the grades yet.
Qualifications gained
Depending on the level of apprenticeship you study, you will gain one of the following:
- 2 A Level passes (Advanced)
- A foundation degree (Higher)
- A bachelors or Masters degree (Degree)
Some exciting English-based advanced and above UK apprenticeships include:
Industry Focus
Those who can create mistake-free, clever content across different mediums have their pick of companies and industries.
A few of the best UK apprenticeships for word wizards include:
Many people who study English at university go on to become teachers. Now, you can apply for a four-year to apply for a four-year teaching degree apprenticeship straight from leaving school. Unlike university, you not only have no student loans, but you will also earn a living wage while gaining your teaching qualifications.
There are five stages of education, although most apprenticeships cover junior and assistant roles.
Your knowledge and passion for English could be the makings of a rewarding career in education, and an apprenticeship could provide the first step.
Other roles within education include a learning mentor and a teaching assistant.
If the thought of working in education leaves you cold, you may be better suited to a media or journalism apprenticeship.
From hard-hitting news stories to fluffy feature pieces and everything in between, journalists bring the world the latest news, facts and stats, and opinion pieces. They write obituaries, announcements, and results be it sports or court cases.
Media also encompasses digital, broadcast, and visual effects professionals.
You can find media & journalism apprenticeships with companies such as ITV, BBC and the nctj.
Alternatively, several roles in PR and marketing might be a better fit.
Working for an agency with multiple clients, freelancing or in-house at a company, you can use your way with words to promote products and services, give a voice to the unheard and change the conversation.
From writing press releases and crisis communications to crafting social media content and blogs, PR & marketing is a varied world that offers many opportunities to creative people.
Companies such as Rolls Royce, Amazon, and Samsung offer marketing apprenticeships.
Other Opportunities
Other options include:
- Novelist or poet
- Proofreader/editor
- Screen/scriptwriter
- Copywriter
- Copyeditor
- Blogger
- Journalist
Conclusion
An interest and aptitude for English could open up many doors for you, with an English-based apprenticeship just the first step to success. If you would like to find out about English apprenticeships in your area, please use our ‘subject’ and ‘location’ search filters.
For any other information, please contact us and we will do our best to answer your questions.
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.