Which are the Most Popular Apprenticeships?
Apprenticeships are a valuable form of vocational education that provides hands-on training and real-world experience. With a wide range of industries and job roles to choose from, it can be overwhelming to determine which apprenticeship is right for you. In this blog, we will be highlighting some of the most popular apprenticeships available, including construction, engineering, IT, and healthcare.
We’ll also discuss the key features of each type of apprenticeship, helping you make an informed decision on the best path for your career goals. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to make a career change, this article is a great resource for anyone interested in exploring the world of apprenticeships.
Business, Administration and Law
Included in this type of apprenticeship are:
- Accounting
- Banking
- Bookkeeping
- Insurance
- Criminal investigation
- HR
- Legal services
- Management
- Marketing
- Payroll
- Financial advice
- Social media marketing
- Digital media
Business apprenticeships are available for a wide range of professionals and can provide practical experience which can be applied to a variety of different sectors along with a salary. By taking on a business apprenticeship, you can potentially rapidly advance your career by gaining valuable skills and networking with experienced professionals.
Business and management-related schemes start at an intermediate level (Level 2 – comparable to GCSEs), but the majority are set at an advanced level (Level 3 – equivalent to A-levels) and progress to higher (Levels 4 and 5 – comparable to a foundation degree or above) before reaching degree apprenticeship level (Levels 6 and 7 – equivalent to a Bachelors or Masters degree).
Healthcare, Social Care and Public Services
Included in this type of apprenticeship are:
- Care leadership
- Children and young people’s workforce
- Court, tribunal and prosecution admin
- Emergency fire service
- Allied health professions
- Emergency care
- Optical retail
- Pharmacy
- HM Forces
- Policing
Within the broad field of healthcare, social care and public services there are a huge number of opportunities, spanning all levels from intermediate (Level 2), all the way up to degree apprenticeships (Levels 6 and 7). Taking approximately three years to complete, apprentices gain an honours degree, enabling them to register with regulatory bodies and government institutions such as Social Work England, NHS and the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
Retail and Commercial Enterprise apprenticeships
Included in this type of apprenticeship are:
- Hairdressing and barbering
- Beauty therapy
- Catering
- Fashion and textiles
- Funeral operations
- Hospitality
- International trade and logistics
- Property services
- Retail management
- Vehicle sales
There’s more to retail apprenticeships than shop floor roles. Programmes are available in variety of functions including digital, beauty, logistics and management. Schemes span from intermediate (equivalent to GCSEs) to advanced (equivalent to A-levels) and higher (foundation degree level) to degree (comparable to a Bachelors or Masters degree).
Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction apprenticeships
Included in this type of apprenticeship are:
- Engineering construction
- Aviation ground operative
- Building services
- Composite engineering
- Manufacturing processes
- Electrotechnical
- Gas industry
- Construction civil engineering
- Construction building
- Construction management
- Plumbing and heating
Honing your skills in a traditional or specialist area – ranging from bricklaying, carpentry and gas engineering to architecture and quantity surveying – these apprenticeships equip you with the knowledge and skills to enter this growing industry. Apprenticeships are widely available in engineering and construction. As with all types of apprenticeships, they’re offered at four different levels.
Conclusion
Knowing the most popular apprenticeships is a useful thing – it may help steer your choice in one direction or another. If the apprenticeship is a popular one, it means there will be more apprenticeship vacancies and that this career path is likely to be in demand. Choosing this route will offer you good job prospects and may lead to further apprenticeships to develop your qualification level in the future. However it may also mean there is more competition from other applicants. Check out our top tips on creating a CV for apprenticeships.
