Lots of young people don’t realise that having to stay in some form or education or training until they are 18 years old does not mean that you have to stay at school and study full time for either a vocational qualification or A Levels. Find out about apprenticeship options after GCSEs.When can I leave school?In England, once you have completed your GCSEs and so long as you will be 16 years old by the end of the summer holiday, you are free to leave school and undertake an apprenticeship if that is what you want to do.Intermediate apprenticeshipsIntermediate apprenticeships are the first level of apprenticeships available and also the most popular. They’re designed to give you access to entry level job roles and provide you with the basic skills you’ll need to work in your chosen field.How does an apprenticeship differ from school?On an apprenticeship most of your time will be spent with an employer, and you’ll learn whilst you complete the job. Some of your time will be spent learning in a classroom environment, but mostly on-the-job training. You’ll get paid for your work too!In order to enrol onto an intermediate apprenticeship, you’ll usually need two or more GCSEs at grades A*-C, or an equivalent qualification. If you don’t have GCSEs in maths or English though, don’t panic! You’ll usually be required to take a basic numeracy and literacy test to assess your basic skills. As part of the apprenticeship, you’ll either take a GCSE in English, or a Functional Skills qualification at Level 1 or 2 too.Once you’ve completed your intermediate, Level 2 apprenticeship you can then go onto an advanced apprenticeship to develop your skills even more if you wish.Advanced apprenticeshipsAdvanced apprenticeships can be taken after your GCSEs or after completing an intermediate apprenticeship and they offer an alternative to studying A-levels. If you’re looking to study whilst completing work training, and want to go into a career in which field experience is important, an advanced apprenticeship may be worth considering.An advanced apprenticeship is a great opportunity. You’ll gain some vital training, develop skills and could gain nationally recognised qualifications, all whilst earning money – result! They usually last between 1-4 years, depending on your employer and the chosen area.There’s a huge range of companies out there who offer advanced apprenticeships. There are loads of big names involved, such as Jaguar Land Rover, National Grid, IBM and much more!Entry requirements for an advanced apprenticeshipUsually, if you want to complete an advanced apprenticeship, you’ll either need to have completed an Intermediate apprenticeship or have a certain number of GCSEs – however, this isn’t always the case. Typically though, most large employers will be looking for 5 GCSEs, all between A*-C grades.What kinds of apprenticeships are available at Level 2?To list every single apprenticeship that is available at Level 2 would take an awfully long time – so here’s a snippet of the intermediate apprenticeship job roles that you might look for.Adult care worker – employment in care worker roles is a growth areaAviation maintenance mechanic (military)Airside operatorBuilding services engineering installerButcherConstruction assembly technicianCustomer service practitionerAssistant early year’s practitionerMineral processing mobile and static plant operatorDual fuel smart meter installerEquine groomFinancial services customer adviserFurniture manufacturerGolf greenkeeperBeauty professionalLandscape/horticulture operativeCommis chefAble seafarer (deck)Non-destructive testing operatorRail engineering operativeWelder (Level 2)To find about about apprenticeship options after A Levels visit our article on the advice page.
