Apprenticeship Training
Apprenticeship Guide for Parents and Schools
Helping young people advance from education to employment
As a parent or guardian, you want to understand all the options available for young people, so you can provide the best possible support to anyone making the decision of what to do after school or college.
This guide is for parents, guardians and careers advisors and aims to answer some of the most common questions about apprenticeships.
When can a young person apply for an apprenticeship?
Applicants can apply whilst still in school but must be aged 16 or over by the time their apprenticeship starts.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no upper age limit for apprenticeships and anyone can start one at any point in their career.
Applicants must also live in England and must NOT be in full-time education at the point of starting their apprenticeship.
How are employers equipped to train apprentices?
PETA has worked with many businesses across the UK to set up successful apprenticeship programmes across a range of industries and sectors, including Garmin, BAE, Fat Face and Portsmouth Football Club.
Each employer is vetted to ensure that their business is prepared to run a successful training programme. Most employers will also attend an Apprentice Mentoring Workshop to ensure they can provide the right support, right from the start.
Where does training take place?
For many apprenticeships, most of the training will take place at your place of work. Some off-the-job training will be required and will take place at one of PETA’s training facilities.
Business, IT and Management apprenticeship training will take place at our Portsmouth Training Centre.
All Engineering apprenticeship training will take place at our Engineering Centre, based in Havant.
Both centres are easily accessible by car, cycle or public transport.
What employee rights do apprentices have?
Apprentices are entitled to the same rights and benefits as any other new employee, including:
- Paid holidays
- Statutory sick pay
- Any benefits offered by the employer such as childcare vouchers
- Any support offered by the employer such as mentoring or coaching
Apprentices are entitled to full pay for any time spent training, whether at work or at their college or training provider.
What is the minimum wage for an apprentice?
The minimum wage for an apprenticeship is set by the Government and changes in line with Government policies.
You can view the current hourly rates for the National Minimum Wage here.
Do I have to pay any tuition fees?
No, apprenticeship programmes are fully funded by the Government.
The only payments that you will need to make are for books or trips as you would with a place at college.
Is help available for childcare costs?
Individuals with young children are still able to participate in an apprenticeship.
Care to Learn provides financial support to teenage parents who want to continue their education and need help with the cost of childcare and any associated travel.
Information on the Care to Learn scheme is available on the Gov.uk website or if you prefer to discuss your options please contact our engagement team on 023 9253 8724.
Apprenticeship Open Evenings
Join us at our next Open Evening where you can meet our tutors, see the training centre and learn more about apprenticeship programmes with key employers.
Apprentice Stories
We interviewed our apprentices to find out why they think apprenticeships are the perfect way for young people to kick start a career.