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Apprenticeships guidance for care leavers

The amount of support you are entitled to depends on your care leaver status. Check your rights on the GOV.UK support for care leavers website. 

An apprenticeship is a paid job with training. They are a great way to gain work experience and earn money. You will study and work at the same time. Anyone can apply for an apprenticeship.

Working hours

You will normally work for at least 30 hours a week. You can sometimes do a part-time apprenticeship. You will need to check this with your training provider and employer though.

You become an employee when you start your apprenticeship. You should get an employment contract with the same terms as other staff. Make sure you ask your employer for this, so you know what they need from you, and what you can expect of them.

Training 

You should expect to train for at least 20% of your employed hours. All apprenticeships differ so training could be:

  • One day a week with a training provider
  • Block release - which is a period of study - with a training provider

  • Training in the workplace

There will be assessments to make sure you have got the knowledge and skills.

You may also need to do Functional Skills or GCSEs in maths and/or English. This depends on your previous GCSE grades and the apprenticeship level.

Getting paid for an apprenticeship

Your employer will pay you, including holiday pay. They might pay you weekly or monthly. 

Your hourly rate will be at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for an apprentice, or for your age. However, some employers pay significantly more. You should know exactly how much you will get before you accept a job. Check your employment contract.

Other financial support

Read our information on apprenticeships financial support.

Apprenticeship levels

There are different academic levels of apprenticeships.

  • Intermediate/ Level 2 apprenticeships are the equivalent of 5 GCSEs
  • Advanced/ Level 3 apprenticeships are the equivalent to 2 A Levels
  • Higher level apprenticeships are Levels 4 to 7. Level 6 and 7 apprenticeships are the equivalent of a Bachelor's or Master's degree.

 

Find an apprenticeship

These websites are a good place to look for further information and vacancies:

You can also contact companies to see if they might take on an apprentice. If you find a company that might be interested, you or the employer can contact Apprenticeships Norfolk.

Further help

If you need help to apply for an apprenticeship speak to:

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