Apprentices

Welcome to Apprenticeships+

An Apprenticeship is the best of both worlds! Not only will you be employed full-time and earning a wage, but you will also be working towards achieving a full set of qualifications and skills that will benefit you, your employer and your future career.

To fully appreciate the benefits of being an Apprentice, it’s important that you understand all the different elements of an Apprenticeship

A full-time job and a wage

Businesses of all sizes look to recruit Apprentices as they help bring a fresh perspective and set of skills to the workforce. If you are successful in securing an Apprenticeship with an employer, you will be considered a full-time employee and will have the same benefits as one.

As an Apprentice you will be entitled to an hourly wage, which must also cover all of your study time attached to your Apprenticeship programme. The minimum Apprenticeship wage is set by the Government; however, we encourage our employers to pay their Apprentices the best wage available.

Skills and qualifications

If you successfully secure an Apprenticeship you will be enrolled on a programme of study known as an Apprenticeship Standard. This ‘Standard’ will have been designed by a group of leading industry employers in order to ensure that Apprentices are gaining the skills and qualifications in order for them to succeed within the industry.

We currently offer over 50 Apprenticeship Standards across 13 industry sectors.

Learning environment and duration

In order for you to excel in your Apprenticeship the majority of your training will take place in the workplace; you will be able to develop your skills in a supervised environment and apply what you are learning to your daily routine. As a part of your Apprenticeship you may be expected to come into college, but this will depend on your sector and the needs of your employer.

As each Apprenticeship is different depending on the Apprentice and the employer there is no set duration for an Apprenticeship. Some Apprenticeships may last for anywhere between 12-24 months, whereas others may be as long as 48 months.

Apprenticeships Sectors

11 Different Sectors

From Engineering to Leadership and Management, we’ve got 11 sectors for you to find the right Apprenticeship.

See all sectors here

Careers

An Apprenticeship is a fantastic way to develop the skills and knowledge required to excel in a particular job role. As all of our Apprenticeship Programmes are designed alongside employers, you are guaranteed to receive training that will help you excel in your chosen career.

Additionally, our Careers Advice Team are able to offer a variety of support and services to all Apprentices, click here for more information.

Here are a few of the potential careers you could end up pursuing by choosing to apply for an Apprenticeship.

Floristry and Horticulture

Florists sell flowers and related products in a wholesale or retail business, and design and make up floral bouquets, wreaths, tributes and other floral arrangements for sale to the public.

IT and Computing

Cyber intelligence officers gather information about where threats to information technology (IT) systems come from and how they work.

Business and Professional

Admin assistants give support to offices by organising meetings, typing documents and updating computer records.

Levels of Apprenticeships

When applying for an Apprenticeship, it's also really important that you consider what level of study to begin at. The right Apprenticeship for you will depend on your interests, skill level and where you would like to progress to in the future.

The level of the Apprenticeship is determined by the job role that the Apprentice is in and their prior knowledge and experience. For example, a Higher Apprenticeship would require more responsibility in the job role than either an Intermediate or Advanced Apprenticeship.

Level 2

(Intermediate) equivalent to 5 x GCSEs

Level 3

(Advanced) equivalent to 2 x A Levels

Level 4/5

Higher: equivalent to HNC/HND

How to apply

Apprenticeships are a great way to get a qualification, real work experience and earn money at the same time.

We have some great opportunities with some of the best employers in the local area, and our expert recruitment team is on hand to help you with your application and acing the interview process. There are two ways that you can apply for an Apprenticeship through The Sheffield College - apply directly for a live vacancy or apply to the standard you’d like to do and then find an employer yourself. Click here for some pointers for both approaches!

Get in touch

If you'd like to contact the Apprenticeships+ team, send us an email here.

Contact us

Frequently Asked Questions

Got some burning questions about being an Apprentice? 

Find out more here