Apprenticeships have always been to help young people start their careers. While it started off as just being for manual trades, they’ve now expanded to a whole range of industries like digital marketing, graphic design and fashion. School leavers have many options post 16/18 education, so making the right one is more important ever. Find out:
➔ Why should school leavers consider an apprenticeship?
➔ What types of apprenticeships are available?
➔ Who pays for school leaver apprenticeships?
➔ How do I find a school-leaver apprenticeship?
Why should school leavers consider an apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are a fantastic option if you’re not interested in continuing with college or university and want to get stuck in straight away. Here are our top four reasons why many school leavers decide to go down the apprenticeship route:
- They know exactly what job they want to work in and it doesn’t require a university degree
- They’re interested in working in a particular industry but not sure what job exactly, so with level 3 apprenticeships being around 15 months they get to have a taste of what it could be like
- They want to start earning a salary now
- The skills they want to develop can’t be taught in a classroom, but require work-based training
- They’ve found a once in a lifetime apprenticeship opportunity that they simply can’t miss out on!
What types of apprenticeships are available?
Business, Administration and Law
There are currently 61 business, administration, law and financial apprenticeships available right now. The most popular ones are for school leavers are:
- Assistant Accountant
- HR Support
- Paralegal
- Recruitment Consultant
- Team leader
- Mortgage Advisor
Construction and Engineering
There are currently 53 construction and engineering apprenticeships available right now. The most popular one:
- Housing/property management
- Installation electrician / maintenance electrician
- Junior Energy Manager
- Utilities Engineering Technician
- Surveying Technician
- Science Manufacturing Technician
- Rail Engineering Technician
- Power Network Craftsperson
Arts and Media
There is currently 11 arts and media apprenticeships available right now. These are these the most popular:
- Digital Marketer
- Junior Content Producer
- Advertising and Media Executive
- Junior Journalist
- Live Event Rigger
- Broadcast Production Assistant
Education and Training
There is currently 1 education and training apprenticeship available right now. These are these the most popular:
- Teaching Assistant
Healthcare and Public Services
There are currently 13 healthcare and public services apprenticeships available right now. These are these the most popular:
- Dental Nurse
- Laboratory Technician
- Lead Adult Care Worker
- Food Technologist
Technology
There are currently 5 technology apprenticeship programmes available right now. These are these the most popular:
- Infrastructure Technician
- Software Tester
- Software Developer
- Software Development Technician
- Unified Communications Technician
Leisure, Travel and Tourism
There are currently 8 leisure, travel and tourism apprenticeship programmes available right now. These are these the most popular:
- Transport Planning Technician
- Aviation Ground Specialist
- Supply Chain Practitioner
- Travel Consultant
Retail
There are currently 7 retail apprenticeship programmes available right now. These are these the most popular:
- Retail Team Leader
- IT Technicial Salesperson
- Customer Service Specialist
Who pays for school leaver apprenticeships?
Government Funding
It doesn’t cost school leavers anything to start an apprenticeship. In April 2017, a tax was brought in by the Government that meant very large employers have to pay 0.5% of their annual payroll into a digital account, with it only allowed to be spent on apprenticeship training. Smaller companies don’t have to pay the tax have 95% of any apprenticeship training covered by the Government. Your company pay your salary.
School Leaver Apprenticeship Wages
The minimum apprentice wage is £3.70 an hour, which is £7,215 per annum. However we only work with employers that provide an annual salary of at the very least £8,000, but usually around the £12,000 – £18,000 mark. After you’ve successfully completed your apprenticeship, in most cases your employer will want to keep you on. If so, you’ll be offered a full-time position (and so a promotion) which will lead to a salary increase.
How do I find a school-leaver apprenticeship?
At Arch, we offer a variety of level 3 apprenticeships that are ideal for school leavers with limited work experience. Each week new jobs are added to our jobs board, so make sure to keep checking back. The Government’s Find an Apprenticeship portal is the place for you to find every apprenticeship opportunity available now and is very easy to use.
