Taking on an apprentice has a huge range of benefits for your business.
Apprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that invested in them. They are with you because they want to be and have made an active choice to learn on the job and a commitment to a specific career. Click the FAQs below to break down the myths of Apprentices.
This is one of the most common myths we hear! Anyone aged 16+ can apply for an apprenticeship, there is no upper age limit. There are thousands of current apprentices over the age of 25.
You may be able to upskill within your current role using an apprenticeship programme or if you want a change of career you can apply for our apprenticeship job vacancies!
Yes, it is! An apprenticeship is a real job where you learn, gain experience and get paid. You’re an employee with a contract of employment and holiday leave. By the end of an apprenticeship, you’ll have the right skills and knowledge needed for your chosen career.
At least 20% of your apprenticeship will be spent ‘off the job ‘and used for training and working towards a qualification.
As of April 2022, the apprenticeship wage will be the same as National Living Wage for under 18s so the minimum per hour will be £4.81. This is the MINIMUM that an employer must pay but many employers do pay above this. If you are 19+, your wage will increase to national minimum wage for your age after the first 12 months. Please remember too, that you are not paying for your qualification and won’t have a student loan, like university students. You will even be paid for time to study!
People assume that apprenticeships are only available in certain industries. Not true! Almost all industries have an apprenticeship route, including IT, Early years, Accountancy, Human Resources (HR), Catering, Customer Support, Digital Marketing, Hospitality and many more. Many of these programmes can also lead to degree apprenticeships! For more information on our programmes, please click here.
Not at all. The employer and government pay for all of the training. This means that unlike university, you can achieve a qualification without having to take out a student loan. For 16-18 years olds that work in Lancashire, you can also apply for a free bus pass to help towards travel costs!
Apprenticeships are very competitive so the more you try, the better your chances of securing that dream job! Runshaw College currently has over 40 live vacancies and this changes on a weekly basis. Finding the right Apprenticeship takes time and a lot of effort, so the more pro-active you are, the better your chances are of securing an interview/job offer. Why not contact local employers directly? Ask friends and family about any opportunities and send your CV out to businesses that offer the jobs you are looking for.
Runshaw College has a live database of vacancies, which is updated regularly:
You can also look at the government website to find an apprenticeship. There are over 20,000 apprenticeships listed each month.
gov.uk – Apprenticeship Search
Many employers may advertise vacancies on their company website, so check these too if you know which direction you want to go in.
Not true. Did you know that apprentices can achieve a degree through a Degree Apprenticeship?
Runshaw College offers three levels of apprenticeships:
Here are just a few we know about! Jamie Oliver, Lord Bamford, head of JCB and John Cauldwell, who started Phones 4 U, both who were engineering apprentices. Ross Brawn famous for Formula One also started as an apprentice. The average salary for apprenticeship jobs, on completion of your apprenticeship is £31,787, according to totaljobs.com.
This is not true! There are apprenticeship opportunities in every sector and they come with the opportunity to take different qualifications, which can lead to promotion and salary increases. Every apprenticeship works to a standard and some have mandatory embedded qualifications, for example AAT and some health care apprenticeships, which come with the opportunity for progression, for example to higher level or degree apprenticeships.
You can earn while you learn as an apprentice. Your company may have a benefits scheme, pension scheme as per government guidelines or bus passes and student discounts.
Apprenticeships are training programmes which let you work whilst getting a qualification at the same time: ‘Earn while you Learn’. Apprenticeships give you hands-on experience at work and allocated time off for your training.
There are several levels of apprenticeships. Runshaw College offer three levels of apprenticeships:
The majority of your time is spent in the workplace with most of your training being on the job. You will have ‘off-the-job training’ which is additional training taking place at Runshaw College or at your workplace (programme specific).
Off-the-job training is learning that takes place outside of your everyday work duties. This takes place within your normal working hours and counts for 20% of them. It can take be in the workplace, at college or from home via online learning. Your off-the-job training is an essential part of achieving your apprenticeship.
During your apprenticeship, you will be with other company employees learning the skills needed for your job.
The length of the apprenticeships depends on the programme and the level of qualification you are working towards. They take a minimum of 12 months to complete.
Nothing! Your training costs are covered when you are an apprentice, so unlike university, there are no costs for your study and no student debt!
Yes, you are an employee of the company you work for. You can find information about apprentice wages here. You will be paid for your normal working hours, training that’s part of your apprenticeship (at least 20% of your normal working hours) and also study time if you are working towards English and maths qualifications, if they’re part of your apprenticeship. It is important to note that some companies start their apprentices on their company pay scale.
There are rules about working hours for apprentices. You can find more information here.
Most apprentices stay with their employer, although there is not a guarantee that you will stay in your role. Research by the National Apprenticeship Service states that 85% of apprentices will stay in employment and around 65% will continue working with the same employer.
College students usually spend around three days a week at college. As an apprentice, you are employed, receive a wage and work each day, whilst completing your apprenticeship qualification.
To apply for an apprenticeship, you must:
Yes. You can change your career or stay in your current position and upskill your job.
You’re employed and getting paid to train. An apprenticeship allows you to get transferable skills and knowledge and great work experience, all whilst you earn a wage and get a qualification at no cost to yourself. An apprenticeship is ideally suited for those who enjoy hands-on experiences rather than continuing in full-time education.
Please read all the information on our website and have a look at our vacancies here which we update regularly. You can apply online here If you are looking for a specific vacancy, that you can’t see, please get in touch as we are updating our vacancies all the time.
You can also speak with our team who will be happy to chat with you about an apprenticeship: 01772 643008
Click here for our vacancies
Click here for our programmes
Click here to apply for an apprenticeship
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We hope that this article has helped dispel some of the common misconceptions about apprenticeships. Please contact us below to start your apprenticeship journey! For an informal chat contact us on 01772 643008 or e-mail us at apprenticeships@runshaw.ac.uk Find us on:
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