www.preston.ac.uk FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT IS AN APPRENTICESHIP? An apprenticeship is a technical course which is predominantly taught in the workplace through on and off the job training and accompanying study, normally through a day release to college. As an apprentice, you will be employed by an organisation who will train you and support you throughout your learning, whilst also paying you a salary. Depending on the level of study and the industry you choose, your apprenticeship could take you between 12 – 48 months to complete. WHO CAN BE AN APPRENTICE? As long as you are 15 years old or over, have officially left school and not in full time education, you can become an apprentice. As an apprentice, you must have an employer as they will support you through your apprenticeship and invest in your training. Many apprenticeships, just like other courses, will have entry requirements, so please do check this with a member of our team or visit the Preston College website. HOW MUCH WILL I EARN? Your salary will be determined by your employer who’ll take into consideration your age, experience and potential. The minimum wage for an apprentice under 18 years of age is £5.28* per hour. This is the national minimum apprenticeship wage and you will be paid this for the first 12 months of your apprenticeship. After that, it will rise to at least the national minimum wage for your age group. If you are upskilling in a current role, your salary may stay the same. Details can be found at: www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates IS AN APPRENTICESHIP AS GOOD AS ANY OTHER LEVEL OF STUDY? Yes. An apprenticeship programme is as challenging, if not more so, than any other type of study within a college or university setting. As an apprentice you will be expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week in addition to your studies. It is hard work, but employers recognise the effort required to succeed and will know that you have shown a great level of dedication and commitment to your job role and qualification. DO APPRENTICESHIPS HAVE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS? All of our apprenticeships at Preston College have entry criteria and some will differ from others depending on the type of programme and level you wish to study. It is definitely worth visiting our website to see what the entry criteria is for each programme. All apprenticeships will require a level of maths and English. If you have not achieved your maths and English at grade C/4 or above, you may be required to study these alongside your apprenticeship. Prospective apprentices may be asked to take an initial assessment and college interview. HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? Assessment for an apprenticeship is continuous throughout your programme, through a mixture of on and off-the-job training. Most apprenticeships require written assignments, workplace or industry demonstrations and portfolio building. You’ll be assigned a work-based-tutor who’ll support and train you throughout, and a mentor in your workplace who’ll ensure you’re on track with your work. At the end of the apprenticeship you’ll be required to take an End Point Assessment (EPA) to assess you on everything you’ve learnt on your apprenticeship. Training for this begins three months before the end of your apprenticeship, giving you plenty of time to prepare. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE AN EMPLOYER? Don’t worry. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right role and employer to suit you. However, to make sure you have a place at college in September, we strongly recommend that you accept a college place as a backup. Our apprenticeship specialists will continue to work with you and our employer partners to find you the right apprenticeship. As soon as you secure employment, you can transfer from your college course onto your apprenticeship, no matter how far along you are on your course. FOR ADVICE ON FINDING AN EMPLOYER SEE p33 7 *correct as of April 2023
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