Apprentice FAQs

You can do an Apprenticeship as long as you are over 16! You can be a learner fresh out of college or someone who has already begun their career journey. Apprenticeships are a great tool for career progression at any point.

We do Apprenticeships in:

• Accounting – Levels 2, 3, 4
• Business Management – Level 3
• Leadership & Management – Level 7
• Customer Service – Level 3
• Early Years Education – Levels 2, 3
• Adult Care – Levels 2, 3, 5

We offer Apprenticeships ranging from Level 2 – 7, depending on the subject.

Intermediate – Level 2 Apprenticeship

A Level 2 Apprenticeship is an ideal start for people who are entirely new to the career sector and are looking to learn the basic knowledge, skills and behaviours needed in the industry.

Advanced – Level 3 Apprenticeship

Level 3 Apprenticeships are ideal for people who already have some experience and qualifications, as the Apprenticeship will build upon your existing knowledge, skills and behaviours and develop a further understanding, resulting in a qualification equivalent to A Levels.

Higher Apprenticeships – Level 4 and above

Higher Apprenticeships allow you to access University level education up to a Master’s Degree (Level 7). Higher Apprenticeships are a cost-efficient way to get a degree as you won’t incur any student debt, instead, you will be earning a wage.

Yes, if you are employed you can still do an Apprenticeship with the support of your employer.

An Apprenticeship works by providing a blend of “off-the-job” training, which equates to 20% of your normal working hours where you will be training with one of our tutors or carrying out self-learning and “on-the-job” training which your employer will deliver, teaching you skills and knowledge to help you fulfil your job role.

Apprentices get paid at different rates; although there is a national minimum wage for Apprenticeships, Apprentices tend to get paid at standard job rates depending on experience and knowledge.

Table accurate as of April 2023

The Apprenticeship guidelines state that you should do at least 30 hours a week as an Apprentice, but most Apprentices work full-time. If you don’t meet the minimum hours you can still become an Apprentice and have the Apprenticeship take longer to complete, allowing you enough time to develop the required knowledge and skills.

Most Apprenticeships take between 18-24 months but some can last up to 6 years depending on the standard, level and your experience.

The entry qualifications required will depend on the area in which you are doing the Apprenticeship and the level.

All Apprenticeships require you to have GCSE or equivalent qualifications in English and Maths, if you don’t have these qualifications you can still become an Apprentice! If you are missing these qualifications we will help you work towards attaining them as part of your Apprenticeship program.

Unemployed

If you have been living in England for a minimum of 3 years and are over the age of 16, you can visit our Apprenticeship Vacancies page to see what we currently have available or apply for a specific standard on our Apprenticeship Standards page where we will find you an employer.

Employed

If you are already employed, your employer can contact a member of our team at 0121-515-4229 or apprenticeships@ncauk.org to discuss starting your Apprenticeship.

Our Apprenticeships can start at any time of the year.