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Apprenticeships & T-Levels

Knowing what your next steps are.

In today’s challenging UK employment market, young people need the right education and employability skills to progress their careers in a competitive world. An apprenticeship is a structured first step into the workplace offering salary, qualifications and education as well as developing the crucial real-life work experience that employers seek.

An apprenticeship is a genuine job with an accompanying skills development programme through which an apprentice will gain technical knowledge and practical experience along with wider skills needed for their immediate job and future careers.

This is gained through a wide mix of learning in the workplace, formal off-the-job training and the chance to practice new skills in a real work environment supported by employers and training providers, including colleges and universities.

Apprenticeships are designed by employers to meet their needs for that occupation or industry and by doing so the apprentice obtains the skills knowledge and qualifications to become competent in their chosen career. Find out:

How to become an apprentice
What apprenticeships are available and information about starting your apprenticeship
Specific information for parents/carers.

Apprenticeship Levels

Apprenticeships are available at four levels for those aged 16 and over and living, working or studying in England and can take one to four years to complete (degree apprenticeships can take longer).

Length will be dependent upon the apprenticeship being followed and the prior skills of the apprentice.

NAME	LEVEL	EQUIVALENT EDUCATIONAL LEVEL
Intermediate	2	5 GCSE passes at A*to C (Level 4-9)
Advanced	3	2 A level passes
Higher	4, 5, 6, 7	Foundation degree and above
Degree	6, 7	Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

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Apprenticeship Levels

Intermediate Apprenticeships: Five good GCSE passes

Achievement of an Intermediate Apprenticeship may allow progression onto an Advanced Apprenticeship. To start an Intermediate Apprenticeship, the applicant should ideally have 5 GCSEs (grade E/grade 2 or above).

Advanced Apprenticeships: Two A-Level passes

Achievement of an Advanced Apprenticeship may allow progression onto a Higher Apprenticeship. To start an Advanced Apprenticeship, the applicant should ideally have five good GCSEs (grade C/grade 4 or above) or have completed an Intermediate Apprenticeship.

Higher Apprenticeships: Foundation degree and above

Higher Apprenticeships involve the development and assessment of skills and knowledge at Level 4 or above (relevant to the occupational sector or job role), and as defined by the Framework or Standard. Higher Apprenticeships at Level 4 and 5 can allow progression to university degrees.

Degree Apprenticeships: Bachelors or Masters

Degree Apprenticeships are also now becoming widely available in most sectors. They involve the development and assessment of skills and knowledge to Levels 6 and 7. To start a Higher or Degree Apprenticeship, the applicant should ideally have a relevant Level 3 vocational qualification or three good A-Levels or have completed a relevant Level 3 Apprenticeship. Entry requirements vary from programme to programme and depend on the learners existing skills, grades and work experience. Many companies, both large and small, local and national, offer apprenticeships across a wide range of occupations and industries with more being added.

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships

There is now a real and valid alternative to traditional university study. Higher and degree apprenticeships are growing in availability and areas of study. They allow you to gain qualifications, learn professional skills, progress your career and earn a wage. You still get to graduate too, with no tuition loans and having earned a wage for the duration.

Apprentices’ opportunities for career progression are increasing with the expansion of Higher and degree apprenticeships. More specialised and highly skilled apprenticeships are being offered to give you the chance to continue your professional development and realise your potential.

Why Consider An Apprenticeship?

Benefits include:

- Earning a salary and paid holidays.
- Excellent progression opportunities.
  Achieve qualifications.
  Gain job-specific skills.
  Gain transferrable employability skills.
  Increased future earning potential.
Apprenticeships provide employers with the skilled workers of the future with new talent and investment in their existing workforce. Becoming skilled will ensure you get the best possible start to your career. Once the apprenticeship is completed you may be offered a permanent position with your employer with the opportunity to continue with your training at a higher level. Alternatively, you could progress on to higher education in a college or university. Some apprenticeships already attract UCAS points. The National Apprenticeship Service is working with UCAS to extend this system.

The scope for career progression is excellent for apprentices.
Becoming qualified while on the job can also mean:
- Working better and more effectively
- It can help you move into new and better jobs
- You get better pay
- You get to experience new and different challenges
- Existing skills and knowledge are recognised and can help you gain a qualification faster
- Learning at your own pace and getting support when you need it
- Increased job security
- Skills and knowledge are gained which can be used across a range of jobs and industries

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How To Get Started

Apprenticeships are real jobs and can be highly competed for. There will be a recruitment process of application, interview and selection.

You are unable to do an apprenticeship without being employed. You need to think about where a qualification could take you in your career and decide on the skills you will need to get ahead. If this is an option you wish to pursue when you leave school then there is no time like the present to get started with research and familiarising yourself with the websites and people that can help. You should be looking at least 3 to 6 months before you are ready to start, longer in some cases as some employers may recruit for the following year, especially in the cases of degree apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships can appear in many places such as employer websites and provider websites. Don’t forget that most colleges also do apprenticeships so it’s worth looking there. All apprenticeships should appear on the National Apprenticeship website so it’s really important that you register on it.

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Applying For An Apprenticeship

Employers’ attitudes are changing. Many increasingly see qualifications and work experience equally on a CV or job application. Once you complete an apprenticeship you could have up to three years of specialist work experience in your chosen vocational area. This will enable you to demonstrate to them that you’re highly capable of excelling in the role with the range of experiences you have gained.

Lots of national and local companies are getting involved with apprenticeships along with the National Apprenticeship Service. Figures released last year showed that almost half of recent graduates are in non-graduate jobs, while 80% of our apprentices go on to secure permanent employment with the company they started their apprenticeship with. In addition to this, a third of apprentices secure promotion within the first 12 months of completion. These career opportunities are all down to that specialist work experience and skill set gained from on-the-job training. Some of the most successful young people we know started off as apprentices, and now own their own companies or manage whole departments within an organisation.

Apprenticeships can be demanding, but they’re also really rewarding. When you’ve completed your training you can carry on working, maybe get promoted or go on to higher education at a college or university. You’ll get a package of qualifications when you finish your apprenticeship which will be recognised by any employer anywhere in the country.

What do you need to do?

An apprenticeship will not find you! If this is the route you wish to follow then you are central to achieving this.

Research.
Go onto the National Apprenticeship website and create an account.
Look at employer’s websites and social media for both local and national companies. Most have career or apprenticeship sections now and can be a valuable source of information.
Register your interest on employer websites for alerts for apprenticeship positions. Most of them have them in their working for us/career sections.
Register your interest with local and national training providers and colleges.

Don’t forget any work experience, volunteering or part-time jobs that you do will help massively when you come to apply for an apprenticeship.

You have looked and researched, decided this is the route for you and found an apprenticeship you want to apply for. As well as offering training, an apprenticeship is a paid job. You’ll need to apply for it in the same way you would apply for a job.

Top Tips when applying for an apprenticeship:

Research the apprenticeship thoroughly. You’ll need to know the role inside out for your application and any possible interviews, and it obviously needs to be one that is of interest to you!
Make a list of your experiences, hobbies, and interests. Use the list to refer to while you apply. You need to compare and match your experience with what the employer and training provider are looking for in their job specification.
Make sure you relate your application to the job you are applying for. Tie in your experiences and hobbies with what you’ll be doing in the apprenticeship. For example, if you’re applying for an apprenticeship in engineering, talk about relevant projects you’ve worked on in science or maths and qualifications that you have or are undertaking.
You need to be able to write about yourself. The application form is where you start to tell the employer about yourself and why you would be suitable for the apprenticeship Ask teachers, friends, and family to list some qualities to give you a starting point.
Talk about your skills and qualities, not just your hobbies. Have you been captain of any sports teams, or led any other clubs in school or out, if you have, this shows leadership and teamwork skills.
The application form will be similar to a job application. You’ll need to provide examples to prove what you’re talking about. For example, if you say communication is a strength of yours, what evidence do you have to show this? For example, have you done a presentation, do you belong to the school debating club?

Don’t just rely on spellcheck for your application, read through it yourself and then get someone else to read through it before you send it good spelling, punctuation, and grammar are important. The application is the first thing an employer sees about you and can be the difference between getting an interview or not!

Further apprenticeship sites to support you:

The Apprenticeship Guide
Rate My Apprenticeship
Amazing Apprenticeships
UCAS Understanding Apprenticeships

What Are T-Levels?

T-levels, or Technical Level Qualifications, are new government-backed qualifications introduced as of September 2020 and will be equivalent to three A-levels. These two-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of the industry and prepares students for working life.

T-levels involve a mix of classroom learning (about 80% of the course time) and practical experience (about 20% of the course time) including a 45-day on-the-job placement in a genuine business. Afterwards, students may go on to university, alternative higher education, another job, an apprenticeship or they may be offered an opportunity with the company where they were placed.

T-levels are a vocational alternative to A-levels (because they focus on industry) and include practical study as well as classroom learning. They differ from apprenticeships because the study and working time are reversed. Unlike BTECs, T -level courses were developed with businesses and offer an industry placement. It is likely that BTECs will be phased out over the next five or so years.

Available Subjects

Available T-Level Subjects

As of September 2021, there were ten T-level subjects available all relating directly to workplace careers:

Building Services Engineering for Construction
Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction
Digital Business Services
Digital Production, Design and Development
Digital Support Services
Education and Childcare
Health
Healthcare Science
Onsite Construction
Science

Six more subjects were added in September 2022:

Accounting
Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing
Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
Finance
Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
Management and Administration

And another seven from Sep 2023 onwards:

Agriculture, Land Management and Production
Animal Care and Management
Catering
Craft and Design
Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy
Legal Services
Media, Broadcast and Production

T Level courses consist of the following:

an approved technical qualification specific to the chosen industry area with compulsory elements and, in some cases, optional specialisms.
an industry placement in their chosen industry area (approximately 45 days), which might be offered as a day release or as a concentrated block.
a minimum standard in English and maths (if this had not already been achieved).

Students receive a nationally recognised grade and a breakdown of their achievements on the course, including how they did on their work placement. If they don’t pass all elements of their T-level, they’ll receive a T-level statement of achievement outlining what has been completed.

The T-level certificate will display:

an overall grade for the T-level (pass, merit, distinction, distinction*);
a grade for each occupational specialism (pass, merit or distinction);
a grade for the core component (A*-E);
grades/details showing that the minimum requirements for maths and English have been met (level 2 minimum); and
confirmation that the industry placement has been completed to a minimum standard.

T-levels have been designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to progress onto a range of options including work, higher education or apprenticeships. UCAS tariff points have been allocated to T-levels for those wanting to go on to university.

UCAS Tariff points T Level grade ( A level equivalent)

168 – Distinction* (equivalent to A*A*A* at A level)
144 – Distinction (equivalent to AAA at A level)
120 – Merit (equivalent to BBB at A level)
96 – Pass – C or above on the core (equivalent to CCC at A level)
72 – Pass – D or E grade on the core (equivalent to DDD at A level)

Advantages Of Taking T-Levels

T Levels broaden the study choices for 16-year-olds.

They can offer a clear path to employment although, should your teen start the course and realise that industry or specialism it is not for them, there are still plenty of options for them to continue higher education or get work in a different industry once the T-level is complete.

They are ideal for students who enjoy learning through practical experience and real-life situations.

Qualifications Needed To Take T-Levels

Individual courses need to be checked, but generally, students need 5 GCSEs (graded 9-4) including English and maths. For teens that don’t have the necessary skills to go straight to T-level, they can take the T-level Transition Programme – a one-year course after GCSE to prepare them for the subject they would like to study.

T Levels are currently only available in England. There are around 50 providers. Mostly these are colleges because of the technical nature of the studies and extra equipment needed. It’s worth remembering that whilst colleges are specialists in providing education tailored to sixth formers, students do need to be comfortable with independent study to benefit from what’s on offer (unlike schools, where guided learning is more usual, even in sixth form).

Click here to find what T Levels are available near you. You’ll need to enter your postcode.

Find Out More

T-levels are an exciting new option in sixth-form education that provide a recognised qualification tailored to industry needs and skills.

It’s a great choice for students who want to learn practical skills relevant to certain jobs, regardless of whether they want to go on to study for a degree, take alternative further education or go straight into the workplace after sixth form.

Visit the T-levels website where you can add your postcode to find colleges, schools or other providers who are offering T-levels. You can also find guidance at the Get the Jump content hub.

Watch industry placement videos to hear from students and employers who have benefited from industry placements.

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