When is the best time to apply for apprenticeships?

Applying for apprenticeships has no wrong or right time for you to apply.

Apprenticeships are published all year round, so there isn’t really a right or wrong time to apply for apprenticeships. Is there?

Although apprenticeships are on offer all year round some apprentice employers tend to have cycles due to the level of apprenticeship on offer.

What apprenticeships are on offer all year round?

Apprenticeships have four different levels starting at intermediate apprenticeships up to degree level apprenticeships.

Level 2 Apprenticeships don’t require any formal qualifications to be able to become an apprentice. You can start a Level 2 apprenticeship straight from school with no previous experience, these are very common in the UK. 

The next level up is an advanced or Level 3 Apprenticeship which does require you to have obtained at least five GCSE, which must include Maths and English. You can also start at this level straight from school if you have the correct grades, alternatively you start an intermediate level and then “advance” to a level 3 apprenticeship.

The above two apprenticeship levels are commonly published throughout the year and apprentice employers are always recruiting at these levels across a vast amount of industries and subjects.

Why do some apprentice employers only publish apprenticeships at specific dates?

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are another kettle of fish when it comes to when to apply for apprenticeship. Higher apprenticeships offer foundation degrees and Levels 6 & 7 enables you to attain a bachelors or masters degree.

As you would expect as these are degree level training courses apprentice employers partner with universities to provide the theory element of the apprenticeship training. Because of this most higher or degree apprenticeships start in the month of September, which is the start of the university year.

You can expect to see degree apprenticeships advertised around about the first quarter of the year, this then leaves employers around six months to shortlist candidates and invite to an assessment centre.

So to conclude.....You can apply for apprenticeships through out the year, but depending on the level, then your window to apply is limited.