Parents Guide to Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are a great option for school leavers, so it’s essential for you to be well informed in order to help your child make their big school leaver career decisions. Apprenticeships come in different levels, all offering different qualifications and skills, to people at various stages along their education and career paths: Intermediate Apprenticeships, Advanced Apprenticeships, Higher Apprenticeships and Degree Apprenticeships. Check out the advice pieces in this section to find out more about the differences between these types of apprenticeships.

Here we also show you the range of industries your child could access via an apprenticeship, and how much they could be paid. The National Apprentice Minimum Wage applies to all people on apprenticeships aged 16-18, as well as those aged 19 or over in their first year. They must be paid at least the minimum wage rate for their age if they are an apprentice aged 19 or over and have completed the first year of their programme.

We also include information on school leaver programmes – another great choice for school leavers – which are similar to apprenticeships but come with their own unique set of advantages for your child.

With apprenticeships offered everywhere from Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes Benz, to the BBC and MI5, in fields as wide-ranging as cyber security and aeronautical engineering, digital marketing and journalism, you can be sure there’s one to suit your child’s career ambitions and ensure they bag your dream job. Read our advice pieces to learn everything you and your child need to know about apprenticeships.