Apprenticeships UK: Levels, Pay and How to Apply (2026)
Apprenticeships have shaken off the old idea that they are only for trades or for people who didn't get the grades. You can now train as a solicitor, software engineer, nurse, accountant or chartered surveyor through an apprenticeship, earn a salary while you do it and finish without student debt.
This guide covers how apprenticeships work in England, what they pay, and how to find and win a place. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own schemes, so check the details where you live.
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a paid job that includes structured training towards a recognised qualification. You work for an employer, learn from experienced colleagues, and spend part of your working time studying, often with a college, training provider or university.
Anyone aged 16 or over who has left full-time education can apply, and there is no upper age limit. Apprenticeships suit school leavers, graduates moving into a new field and people changing career alike.
What are the apprenticeship levels?
| Level | Name | Equivalent education level |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Intermediate | GCSE |
| 3 | Advanced | A level |
| 4 and 5 | Higher | Foundation degree and above |
| 6 and 7 | Degree | Bachelor's or master's degree |
Higher and degree apprenticeships are growing fastest. In 2024/25, starts at level 4 and above rose 15.1% to 140,730, and starts at levels 6 and 7 rose 20.4% to 60,350 (Department for Education). Searches for degree apprenticeships in the UK have also climbed steadily, according to Google Trends.
How much do apprentices get paid?
The legal minimum depends on your age and how far into the apprenticeship you are (gov.uk):
| Who | Minimum hourly rate from April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Apprentices aged under 19, and any apprentice in their first year | £8.00 |
| Apprentices aged 19 or 20, after their first year | £10.85 |
| Apprentices aged 21 or over, after their first year | £12.71 |
These are floors, not typical salaries. Many employers pay well above the minimum, especially for higher and degree apprenticeships in finance, law, engineering and technology. Check the advert, and compare a few in the same field before you decide.
Degree apprentices also have their tuition paid, so they finish with a degree and no tuition fee loan.
How do you find apprenticeship vacancies?
Use several places at once:
- Find an apprenticeship: the government's official search service for vacancies in England.
- Employer careers sites: large employers often advertise degree and higher apprenticeships on their own early-careers pages, sometimes only there.
- UCAS: lists many apprenticeships alongside university courses, which helps if you are weighing up both.
- Local colleges and training providers: they work with employers near you and often know about roles before they are advertised widely.
When should you apply for an apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are advertised all year, but there are two busy periods. Searches peak in January to February and again in September, according to Google Trends, and many large employers open degree and higher apprenticeship applications in the autumn for the following September.
If you are in Year 13 or your final year of college, start looking in the autumn term. Shortlist employers you want to work for and note when their applications open, because the best-known schemes close early.
How competitive are apprenticeships?
Very, at the well-known employers. The Institute of Student Employers' 2026 survey found 96 applications for every apprenticeship at large employers (ISE). Graduates are adding to the competition too: 62% of those employers saw more graduates applying for roles aimed at school and college leavers (ISE).
That does not mean you should not apply. It means each application needs to be specific to the employer, not copied and pasted.
How do you apply for an apprenticeship?
Most applications follow the same pattern as any job:
- An online application or CV. Show why you want this field and this employer. Use the skills listed in the advert.
- Online tests, for some larger employers.
- An interview, often with questions about a time you worked in a team, solved a problem or learned something new.
- An assessment day, at some employers, with group tasks.
If you have little work experience, that is expected. Use school or college projects, part-time work, volunteering, sport, caring responsibilities and anything you have built or run yourself. Our guide to getting work experience when first jobs dry up shows how to describe them so they count.
Should you do a degree apprenticeship or go to university?
It depends on how sure you are about your direction. A degree apprenticeship suits you if you know the field you want, want to earn while you learn and like learning by doing. University gives you more time to explore, a wider choice of subjects and the student experience. Both lead to a degree.
We weigh up the options, including the cost and the job market for graduates, in is university still worth it in 2026.
How can MyPathfinder help?
An apprenticeship application is a job application, and the same rules apply: match your CV to the role and practise your interview answers out loud. MyPathfinder's CV Builder helps you build a first CV and tailor it to each apprenticeship, and the Interview Simulator lets you practise with Elise, our AI interviewer, with feedback after every answer.
Find the field you want, apply early and make every application count. Find your start at mypathfinder.uk