Discover North East
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. As an apprentice you will be an employee earning a wage, work alongside experienced staff, gain job-specific skills, and get time for training and study related to your role. 

Apprenticeships can take from 8 months to 6 years to complete, depending on the type and level of the apprenticeship. Our most common apprenticeships, Level 2 and Level 3, usually last between 15-18 months. 

Yes, you have the same employee rights as a regular member of staff. The only difference is that you will have a contractual end date.

The national minimum wage for apprentices is currently £8 per hour for the first 12 months of your apprenticeship. Apprentices over 19 who have completed the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to the national minimum wage for their age. 

Apprenticeships have equivalent educational levels: Foundation and Intermediate = Level 2/equivalent to GCSE , Advanced = Level 3/equivalent to A Level, Higher = Level 4,5,6,7/equivalent to Foundation degree and above, Degree = Level 6 and 7/equivalent to Bachelor's or master's degree

To start an apprenticeship, you will need to be: 16 or over, Living in England, Not in full time education