Apprenticeship guidance for care leavers

An apprenticeship is a job with training. Apprenticeships are a great way to gain work experience and get paid. You might be surprised by the number of vacancies in different industries.  

Anyone can apply for an apprenticeship when they leave school. As it is a job, you will normally work for a minimum of 30 hours, every week.

It is possible to complete an apprenticeship on a part time basis, but it will take longer. You will need to speak to your training provider and employer if you are interested in this but not all apprenticeships can work this way.

Once you start your apprenticeship you will become an 'employee'. This means you will be entitled to a contract of employment with the same terms and conditions as other staff. Make sure you ask your employer for a copy of this, so you know their expectations of you, and what you can expect of them.

You can expect to train at least 20% of your employed hours. All apprenticeships differ, so it could be:

• One day a week with a training provider
• Block release (a period of study with a training provider)
• Training in the workplace

During your apprenticeship, you'll be assessed to make sure you're achieving the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for your chosen apprenticeship.

Alongside your apprenticeship you may need to complete Functional Skills or GCSEs in Maths and/or English. This depends on previous GCSE grades and the level of the apprenticeship.

You will need to study and work at the same time and you will be expected to do far more outside of college time.

Your Life Beyond Care Personal Advisor can help you decide if an apprenticeship is right for you.

Find out more about apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are available at different academic levels.

Most apprenticeships are Intermediate / Level 2 (equivalent to 5 GCSEs) or Advanced / Level 3 (equivalent to 2 A Levels).

Higher level and degree apprenticeships

Higher level apprenticeships are Levels 4 to 7. There is a lot of competition to get these apprenticeships. You may need to be employed already by the company before you can apply.  

Degree apprenticeships are available at levels 6 and 7 and are equivalent to a full Bachelor's or Master's degree. Companies like Flagship Group, Aviva, Marsh, NNUH and Norfolk County Council offer degree apprenticeships in Norfolk. You will also find smaller companies offering them too. 

If you do a degree level apprenticeship, you will be paid whilst you learn. This will mean that you will finish the apprenticeship without student loans which you would have to repay. 

Find out more about higher and degree level apprenticeships. 

Apprenticeships are offered by many employers and education providers.

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

• Help You Choose website. You can also register to get email notifications
• Government Find an Apprenticeship service
• Government Apprentices website
• Apprenticeships offered by Norfolk County Council
• Apprenticeships Norfolk website
• Apprenticeships New Anglia (opens new window)

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

• Your college or training provider
• Your life beyond care worker

You can also contact companies directly to ask if they are looking to take on an apprentice, even if they are not advertising a vacancy. If you find a company that might be interested in taking you on as an apprentice, you or the employer can contact Apprenticeships Norfolk.

You will be paid a wage by your employer, including holiday pay. They might pay you on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on where you work. 

Your hourly rate will be at least theminimum wage rate for an apprentice, or for your age. However, some employers pay significantly higher rates of pay. You should know exactly how much you will be paid before accepting - check your contract of employment for all details about your employment.

You will get paid for an apprenticeship, and:

• You are entitled to a £1,000 Government apprenticeship bursary. From August 2023 the care leaver apprenticeship bursary will increase to £3000. This will be paid in instalments over the first year of the apprenticeship. Find out about the bursary increase. 
• You might get financial help from our apprenticeship top-up scheme
• We might be able to help with the cost of the equipment you need to work 

Read further information about money and financial support.

Benefits

If you are over 18 at the start of your apprenticeship, or turn 18 when on an apprenticeship, you must claim benefits to help cover the cost of your rent. This applies no matter where you are living. 

When you make a benefit claim, you must declare any additional financial support you get from us (Norfolk County Council). This payment will be ignored when you make your claim.