Apprenticeships & Traineeships

Apprenticeships

Today’s Apprenticeships are real jobs with work-based training designed around the needs of employers, which lead to nationally recognised qualifications all the way to degree level covering more than 170 industries and 1500 job roles, from advertising to youth work via environmental engineering and nuclear decommissioning.

Apprenticeships are available to anyone over the age of 16, living in England. There are different entry requirements depending on the sector and job. An Apprenticeship leads to full competency in an occupation, demonstrated by the achievement of an Apprenticeship standard that is defined by employers.  Over 240,000 workplaces already offer Apprenticeships.

Higher & Degree Apprenticeships

A Higher Apprenticeship leads to a nationally recognised qualification at Level 4 and above. Higher and Degree Apprenticeships offer progression routes into higher level learning, accreditation and the recognition that professional skills can give.

Over 75 different subjects exist at Level 4+, ranging from legal services, accounting, creative and digital media to commercial airline piloting, space engineering, life sciences, advanced manufacturing engineering, representing hundreds of job roles.

Traineeships

Traineeships were introduced in 2013 for young people (aged 16-24) focused on work or the prospect of it. Traineeships consist of a high quality work placement of at least 100 hours, a focused period of work preparation training, English & Maths for those who have not achieved GCSE Grade C or equivalent and the flexibility to include other elements such as vocational/industry specific content and qualifications.

By offering Traineeships, businesses have the opportunity to build a pool of high-quality future recruits for their sector, while helping young people take their first steps toward employment. All training costs are met by government funding. Employers are not required to pay trainees but are encouraged to support them with expenses such as transport and meals.

Useful Links

Apprenticeship Higher Degree Fact Sheet

A wealth of information about Apprenticeships can be found here on the GOV.UK website.

At any one time there are up to 28,000 apprenticeship vacancies available here on the ‘Find an apprenticeship’ site in a variety of careers and industries across England.

Click here for the latest details on approved Apprenticeship providers, Apprenticeship Frameworks and Standards.

There are a number of informative films on the Apprenticeship YouTube channel, including a series of sector in the spotlight films. 

Apprenticemakers is an online community bringing together businesses of all sizes to share ideas and ask questions about Apprenticeships.  

Amazing Apprenticeships is an online resource for teachers and career advisers to access the latest information about Apprenticeships. The website contains free resources such as films and webinars for schools.

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/apprenticeships

Help & Support

The economic value of Apprenticeships is compelling and we are passionate about Apprenticeships becoming an integral part of our city’s future. Through our dedicated Business Unit we are able to provide Westminster based employers with free, high quality, impartial advice and support to help them engage successfully with Apprenticeships. We are on hand to guide employers through the process of hiring and training an apprentice and selecting an Apprenticeship provider. Whether you’re interested in introducing Apprenticeships to your workforce for the first time, or increasing your existing Apprenticeship programme please contact the Westminster Business Unit (details below) to find out how we could assist you.

Email: businessunit@westminster.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7641 2070