Who can be an apprentice?

Tailored training for your business

Apprenticeships offer a pathway for both new and existing employees to develop valuable knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) tailored to your business needs.

Designed by employers, apprenticeships ensure that your workforce is equipped with the specific KSBs required for apprentices to excel in their roles.

There are apprenticeships and training types to support employees at every stage of their career. These include foundation apprenticeships for young people just starting out, degree-level apprenticeships, and short apprenticeship units that can be done in a week to a few months.

Criteria for being an apprentice

To be an apprentice, learners must be:

• 16 or over
• not already in full-time education
• living in England

Foundation apprenticeships

For foundation apprenticeships, there are slightly different criteria.

Anyone between 16 and 21 can do a foundation apprenticeship. 

If they're between 22 and 24, they can start if they:

• have an EHC plan
• are in care or have been in care
• are in prison or have been in prison

People aged 25 or over cannot apply for a foundation apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship units

Only people who are currently employed by you can do an apprenticeship unit.

View more information about the different training types and find which one is right for your business.

Thinking of hiring a school leaver?

• Apprenticeships are an excellent way to attract and train new talent. 
• New hires can join your organisation through apprenticeships tailored to specific job roles. Or they may benefit from a foundation apprenticeship, where they’ll learn knowledge and skills from a range of jobs in a sector, as well as employability skills and behaviours to support progression from education to employment
• School leavers bring new ideas and enthusiasm to your team, injecting energy and creativity into your workplace. They are eager to learn and can be moulded to fit your company's specific needs and culture. 
• By investing in apprenticeship training for school leavers, you're nurturing future talent and potentially securing employees who grow with your business. 
• School leavers bring a diverse range of skills and experiences from their education and extracurricular activities, enriching your team with varied perspectives and abilities. 

Thinking of upskilling an existing employee?

• Employees of all ages can benefit from apprenticeship programmes, encouraging longer-term loyalty and boosting motivation.
• Offering apprenticeships to current employees enables them to gain formal qualifications, accelerate career progression, and learn new skills tailored to business needs.
• 80% of employers offering apprenticeships experience a significant increase in employee retention.
• Many employers use apprenticeships to develop and upskill their current workforce.
• Existing employees can enhance their skills and progress within the company through apprenticeships.
• Some employees could benefit from doing an apprenticeship unit - a short training course based on an existing apprenticeship. Go to Find training and employment schemes for your business to find out more.

Making apprenticeships more inclusive:

While many employers use apprenticeships to recruit young school leavers, there is no upper age limit and apprentices can be of any background. Building a diverse workforce benefits businesses, including hiring:


• people with disabilities and learning difficulties
• members of minority communities
• young people who have been in care
• women in underrepresented sectors.

Offering apprenticeships allows you to provide opportunities to people from underrepresented groups, promoting inclusivity and bringing a variety of perspectives to your team.