Becoming an apprentice

Are you interested in earning while you're learning?

Hairdressing apprentice in our onsite commerical salons.

“

The University of Derby Buxton arranges lots of different courses, events and trips, so I've had the chance to enrich my learning during my apprenticeship.

”

Michael Cross, apprentice at Buxton.

Get in touch to find out more

Request a call back
Come to an open day
Email us at enquiriesudb@derby.ac.uk
Call us on 01298 28321.

What is an apprentice?

An apprentice is an employee of a company, who works four days of the week and goes into college for one day a week to gain a nationally recognised vocational qualification. You'll earn a wage of £95 a week minimum and gain valuable practical skills that you'll need for your chosen field of work.

Who can be an apprentice?

If you are aged 25 or under, you can apply for an apprenticeship, and your training is free. Your employer will need to pay your wages.

How long does it take?

Some of our apprenticeship programmes take place fully in your place of work, for others you may need to attend College for one day a week.

An apprenticeship can take between one and three years, depending on the subject and the level of the apprenticeship.

We offer Apprenticeships which are a level 2 qualification, and Advanced Apprenticeships which are a level 3 qualification. In addition to these you will also study vocationally related functional skills and technical certificates to achieve your full qualification.

What can you study?

At Buxton College we have apprenticeships in;

What are the entry requirements?

Apprenticeships are a level 2 qualification so you'll need to have 5 GCSEs at grades D or above including Maths and English. If you haven't got these qualifications there may be other courses that you can study, so please still get in touch.

Finding an employer for your apprenticeship

Once you have decided that an apprenticeship programme is for you, you will need to start looking for employment within the area you want to study.You could contact local companies, or perhaps you know an employer that is keen to take on an apprentice. But don't worry if you haven't been able to find an employer, we may be able to help you as we have excellent links with employers and can let you know about vacancies that become available.

You can also look on the Apprentices Vacancy online service (AVOL).

What's in it for you?

By choosing to study an apprenticeship at Buxton College you'll get:

Support in finding and applying for Apprenticeship opportunities and finding an employer.
A wage from your employer.
Practical guidance and work experience.
A recognised National Vocational Qualification.
Key Skills at an appropriate level.
A Technical Certificate - where applicable within your programme.
The chance to progress to the next level in your subject area.
Employee rights and responsibilities.

Your career

Employers all over the country recognise and value apprenticeships. They show that you've been trained for the job and you have the skills they need.

Once you have finished your apprenticeship you can progress to a higher apprenticeship qualification, or go onto a degree if you want to.

You'll be studying with experienced and enthusiastic tutors who want you to achieve your best and go onto a successful career.