Apprenticeships Explained

An apprenticeship is a paid job with structured training. Apprentices work for an employer, earn a wage, develop occupational skills and spend part of their paid working time training.

Apprenticeships now cover a far wider range of people and levels than most people realise – from Level 2 foundation and intermediate apprenticeships through to Level 6 and Level 7 degree and higher apprenticeships. Use these guides to understand how the system works, then explore the official data yourself.

All figures are England only, drawn from the Department for Education releases behind the Apprenticeships Explorer, and they refresh when the data does. Skills policy is devolved: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run different systems with different statistics.

Latest apprenticeship picture

Provisional data for August 2025 to April 2026 shows:

308,770apprenticeship startsup 8.7%

126,660higher-level startsup 13.6%

20.6%of starts were by someone under 19

52.4%of starts were by someone aged 25 or over

Changes are against the same nine months a year earlier, as published by DfE. The figures are provisional; final full-year 2025/26 data is due from the DfE in November 2026.

What does the latest apprenticeship data show? →

Start here

The basics: what an apprenticeship is, who can do one, and how it works.

What is an apprenticeship and how does it work?A paid job with structured training built in. Here is what that means in practice, and what makes something an apprenticeship rather than a job with a bit of training.What is a foundation apprenticeship?A paid Level 2 entry route for younger people, combining broad occupational experience, employability skills and off-the-job learning, with progression into further apprenticeships or employment. Introduced in 2025 and still very small.

Choosing an apprenticeship

Levels, degree apprenticeships, and how apprenticeships compare with the alternatives.

Apprenticeship levels explained: Level 2 to Level 7Level 2 to Level 7, what each is broadly equivalent to, and which ones school leavers actually start.What is a degree apprenticeship?An apprenticeship where a full degree is built into the standard. Far rarer than the coverage suggests, and not the same as a Level 6 or 7 apprenticeship.Apprenticeship or university?A comparison on the things that actually differ - cost, earnings while studying, structure, flexibility and availability - without pretending one is better.Apprenticeship or T Level?Both are technical routes at Level 3. One is a job with training; the other is a full-time course with a placement. That difference drives everything else.What is a Level 2 apprenticeship?Level 2 is the first mainstream apprenticeship level in England, at broadly GCSE educational level. It covers intermediate apprenticeships and the newer foundation apprenticeships.What is a Level 3 apprenticeship?A Level 3 or advanced apprenticeship sits at the same broad educational level as A levels and T Levels - but the apprentice is an employee training for a specific occupation.What is a higher apprenticeship?Higher apprenticeships run from Level 4 to Level 7. They are the fastest-growing part of the English apprenticeship system - and they are not all degree apprenticeships.Apprenticeship vs A levels vs T Levels: what is the difference?All three can be strong post-16 routes and all three can sit at Level 3. What separates them is employment, learning style, pay and how you apply.

Pay & applying

What apprentices are paid, and how apprenticeship recruitment actually works.

How much do apprentices get paid?Apprentices are employees and must be paid for their work and their required training. The legal minimum depends on age and on whether the apprentice has finished the first year.How do you find and apply for an apprenticeship?An apprenticeship is a job, so you search for a live vacancy and make a job-style application. Where to look, when to apply, and what entry requirements actually mean.

Inside an apprenticeship

Standards, off-the-job training and how apprentices are assessed.

What is an apprenticeship standard?The document that defines an apprenticeship: the occupation, what an apprentice must know and be able to do, and how they are assessed.How are apprenticeships assessed?Apprenticeship assessment is changing. Here is the model that is being replaced, the model replacing it, and how to tell which one applies to a given standard.

Funding & employers

Who pays for apprenticeships, and how the levy works.

Who pays for an apprenticeship?The apprentice never pays. The wage comes from the employer; the training is funded through the apprenticeship system, and how much the employer contributes depends on their levy status and the apprentice's age. The current rates, for starts from 1 August 2026, are set out in full.What is the apprenticeship levy – and what is the Growth and Skills Levy?A payroll charge on larger employers that funds apprenticeship training, now sitting inside a broader Growth and Skills Levy. What each term means, what changed in 2026, and what the statistics can and cannot tell you.What changed to Level 7 apprenticeship funding in 2026?From 1 January 2026 government funding for Level 7 apprenticeships was restricted to younger apprentices and specified groups. What changed, who is still eligible, and why it matters for reading the data.

Understanding the statistics

What the published figures actually measure – and what they do not.

What is an apprenticeship start?The most quoted apprenticeship statistic, and the most misread. A start is a programme beginning, not a person.Starts, participation and achievements – what is the difference?Three headline numbers, three different questions. Using the wrong one is the most common mistake in apprenticeship analysis.Achievement rates explained: retention, pass and achievementThe achievement rate is two rates multiplied together. Knowing which one moved is the difference between a useful number and a headline.Apprenticeships in England: what does the latest data show?Starts, age, levels, subjects and achievements - the whole picture in one place, with the comparisons that are and are not fair to make.

Young people & participation

NEET, post-16 participation, and where apprenticeships sit.

What does NEET mean?Not in education, employment or training. What it includes, what it does not, and why two official sources give different numbers for the same idea.How many young people are NEET?The current figures for the UK and for England, what each one covers, and how they have changed - with the uncertainty shown rather than hidden.

Already got your GCSE results?

These questions are answered in full on the tutor2u Exam Results Explained hub, so they are linked here rather than repeated.

Can I start an apprenticeship without grade 4 GCSE Maths or English?There is no universal grade-4 entry rule applying to every apprenticeship. Understand employer entry requirements and the English and maths rules that can apply during the apprenticeship.What are my options after GCSEs?Compare A levels, T Levels, vocational courses, apprenticeships and other ways to remain in education or training after Year 11.Can I leave school at 16?You can leave school, but in England you must remain in education or training until 18. An apprenticeship is one way of meeting that requirement.What do Level 2 and Level 3 mean after GCSEs?The broader post-GCSE meaning of Level 2 and Level 3, alongside the apprenticeship levels explained in this hub.

Explore the data

Starts, participation, achievements, achievement rates, occupations and standards, providers, places and youth participation – all in one interactive resource.

Open the Apprenticeships Explorer →

Latest Insights

Timely, data-led analysis of what the apprenticeship figures are showing.

Read Apprenticeships Insights →

About this guidance

This guide covers apprenticeships in England. Apprenticeship systems and funding differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

tutor2u uses primary government sources, including GOV.UK, Skills England and the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions apprenticeship statistics.

The Apprenticeships Explorer is built independently by tutor2u from published official data and is not an official government service.

Last reviewed: 30 August 2026

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Coming next to this hub

Guides in preparation, driven by observed demand rather than published all at once: can adults do an apprenticeship · can you do one if you already have a degree · do apprentices get holidays and sick pay · what happens if you leave an apprenticeship early · which apprenticeship subjects are growing fastest · why fewer apprentices are under 19 · which regions have the most starts · how to choose a provider · knowledge, skills and behaviours · changing employer mid-apprenticeship · the apprenticeship service account · how an employer hires an apprentice · what a UKPRN is.