Apprenticeships for adults: how they work when you are not a school leaver

6 minute read · 2026-08-28

The word apprenticeship still makes most people picture a sixteen year old in a workshop. That has not been accurate for years. There is no upper age limit on an apprenticeship anywhere in the United Kingdom, they run from entry level right up to degree and postgraduate equivalent, and a substantial share of apprentices are adults, many of them already working for the employer that puts them through it. If you are thinking about retraining without giving up your income, this is the route most people overlook.

What an apprenticeship actually is

An apprenticeship is a job with structured training attached. You are an employee with a contract of employment, you are paid for all your working time, you accrue holiday, and part of your paid time is spent learning away from your normal duties. In England that off the job training is a defined minimum number of hours per week, delivered by a training provider or a college and assessed at the end.

How adults get onto one

There are three routes, and the second is the one people miss.

1. Apply as an external candidate. Vacancies are advertised on job boards and on the national apprenticeship services. Apply as you would for any job, with a CV and a proper application.
2. Ask your current employer. Existing employees can usually be put onto an apprenticeship in their current or a related role, provided the training gives them substantial new skills. This is common in care, engineering, accountancy, digital and management. Employers with an apprenticeship levy account often have funds sitting unused, so it is worth asking your manager or HR directly.
3. Approach a training provider or college. Providers know which local employers are recruiting apprentices and will often match you to one.

When you apply, do not write like a school leaver. Your work history is an asset: lead with what you already do, then explain clearly why the apprenticeship is the route into the thing you want to do next. Employers are wary of people who will leave when the novelty wears off, so make the reasoning concrete.

Money, and being honest about it

There is a specific apprentice rate of the National Minimum Wage. It applies to apprentices under 19, and to those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship. After the first year, an apprentice aged 19 or over is entitled to the standard minimum wage for their age. All of these rates are reset every year and published on GOV.UK, so look them up rather than relying on a figure someone quotes you.

In practice, many adult apprenticeships pay considerably more than the legal minimum, particularly where an existing employee is being upskilled and keeps their normal salary. That is the arrangement to aim for. If you are moving employer and taking a pay cut, do the arithmetic before you commit: work out your monthly net pay at the apprentice rate, compare it to your fixed outgoings, and check what the pay is on completion. Apprentices are also entitled to holiday, sick pay and the same protections as other employees.

Levels, and the four nations

In England apprenticeships run from level 2, broadly equivalent to GCSE standard, through level 3 at A level standard, and on to higher and degree apprenticeships at levels 4 to 7. Funding rules for the highest levels have been changed more than once recently, and the body overseeing standards has been reorganised, so check the current position before you build a plan around a particular level.

The other nations run their own systems. Scotland has Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, coordinated through Skills Development Scotland. Wales funds apprenticeships through the Welsh Government with support available through Working Wales. Northern Ireland runs ApprenticeshipsNI along with Higher Level Apprenticeships through its Department for the Economy. The principle is the same everywhere: employment plus funded structured training. The frameworks, funding and application services differ.

English and maths requirements also vary and have been revised for adult apprentices in England, so ask the provider exactly what you will need to complete before you sign up. If you have prior qualifications, say so early, because it can change what you are eligible for.

Is it worth it for you

An apprenticeship is usually the right move if you want to change sector into something regulated or technical, if you learn better by doing than by studying, if you cannot afford to stop earning, or if you are already in a job and want a recognised qualification attached to the work you do anyway. It is usually the wrong move if you need your current income immediately and the only available route pays the apprentice rate, or if the qualification is not actually the barrier to the job you want.

Next step: search current openings, including apprenticeship vacancies, on our job listings, browse by sector on our browse pages, and read our guide to what employers look for beyond qualifications before you write your application.