Apprenticeships offer a salary while you study and, unlike going to university, your employer pays the training fees. So there is no need to take out a huge loan to cover the cost of tuition and end up tens of thousands of pounds in debt.
But you still need to support yourself through the apprenticeship, which is at least 12 months long and could be as long as five years. The pay may be low, and varies greatly from scheme to scheme. From April, the national minimum wage for apprentices will be £3.70 an hour for anyone under 19 (or over 19 and in the first year of the scheme). This may sound like a decent wage to school leavers living at home, but much of it can be eaten up in travel expenses.
Check your contract to see if you can get help with travel costs, not only to the job but also to the training centre. Will the employer help pay for tools, clothing and training equipment? The contract will also provide information on statutory holiday pay and sick leave – some may even include a pension scheme, offer of a car, or help with relocation and leisure opportunities.
Government research into apprenticeship pay shows that in 2016, the average for a level 2 or 3 apprenticeship – equivalent to GCSEs and A-levels, respectively – was nearly £7 an hour. The lowest-paid apprenticeships were in hairdressing – a median of £3.47 an hour (when the national minimum wage for apprenticeships was £2.73) and childcare. The highest paid were in management; customer service; health, social care and sport; and retail. Some apprenticeships pay a lot more. For example, starting pay for Transport for London apprenticeships is £17,802 a year.
You won’t be entitled to student discounts, but the National Union of Students has an apprentice extra card, and you may also be eligible for transport discounts. London-based apprentices are eligible for an Apprentice Oyster photocard, which gives them 30% off certain journeys.
Mark Dawe, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, says the new degree-level apprenticeships can pay almost as much as a normal wage. But with apprentices not qualifying for government loans, they may struggle to live anywhere but at home, limiting them to local opportunities.
