Are apprenticeships worth it? Pros, cons and opportunities

Apprenticeships are a training route that helps new workers to gain skills in their chosen field. It combines work and study so people can prepare a foundational knowledge of their industry, or upskill in their current role. With an apprenticeship lasting at least eight months, both employer and apprentice are entering a partnership that relies on trust and respect.

Apprenticeships offer the opportunity for people to get into a new career, but is it worth making the commitment when there are other ways to learn new skills that don’t rely on full-time work? Let’s look at the pros and cons of apprenticeships, and discover what opportunities lie ahead.

(This article applies to apprenticeships in England – EAL supports Apprenticeship Frameworks across the United Kingdom, and offers skills development services across a variety of industries.)

Are apprenticeships full-time?

Most apprenticeships involve full-time working hours of around 30 to 40 hours a week. Apprentices have the same working-time rights as other employees. Those under 18 have additional limits, including normally not working more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.

The structure of an apprenticeship requires that apprentices spend a fixed amount of the working week on training off the job – the number of hours depends on which apprenticeship standard the learner is taking on. Apprentices must receive paid time during normal working hours for training, which can be delivered weekly, in blocks, online, at work or through a training provider.

For the rest of the working week, an apprentice works just like a full-time employee, practising the skills they need to work towards completion of an apprenticeship, alongside their colleagues.

There is a set National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices aged 16 to 18, as well as those aged 19 or over in their first year, of £8 per hour. Apprentices aged 19 or over who have completed the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage rate for their age. Apprentices are also entitled to at least 20 days’ paid holiday per year, plus bank holidays.

Are apprenticeships worth it for employers?

Employers also benefit from taking on apprentices. As well as the financial and productivity advantages, employers have access to resources for training and developing apprentices.

For some learners, an apprenticeship may be the most practical route into an industry where employers need evidence of real workplace competence, not just classroom learning. This is especially true in technical and safety-focused sectors such as engineering, manufacturing, and building services, where new entrants often need supervised experience using tools, equipment, processes, and workplace standards before they can work confidently in the role. Apprenticeships help provide a structured route by combining paid employment with occupation-specific training and assessment, giving learners a structured way to enter industries where practical capability is central.

Funding and help with costs

Employers can get help recruiting for, hiring, and meeting the costs of training an apprentice. How much an employer receives depends on it whether pays the apprenticeship levy. The amount of government support depends on the apprentice’s age and whether the employer pays the apprenticeship levy. For eligible 16- to 24-year-olds, government can fund training and assessment costs in full, up to the funding band maximum.

Employers can get government support towards apprenticeship training and assessment costs, up to the funding band maximum. They can get £1,000 to support their apprentice in the workplace if they are at the start of their apprenticeship training. Employers can spend on any costs related to their employment, for example their work equipment, travel costs or uniform, if they meet the criteria stated in the following Gov.uk funding guidance:

Employing an apprentice: Get funding for apprenticeship training - GOV.UK

Employers who pay the apprenticeship levy can also transfer up to 50% of their unused funds to other businesses, to support wider development within their industry, or their own supply chain, or perhaps to give local talent a boost.

Business productivity

Economic modelling conducted by The St Martin’s Group showed that hiring apprentices gives employers a net benefit of almost £2,500 per apprentice during their training period – a measurable testament to apprentice productivity following investment by employers.

(Source: The St Martin’s Group)

Job satisfaction and morale

According to a government survey, 92% of companies that have taken on apprentices said they believe it leads to a more motivated and satisfied workforce. Four fifths or 80% said they’ve seen a significant increase in employee retention, and 86% said it helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation.

(Source: Apprenticeships (Gov.uk))

Why are apprenticeships important?

Many changes are happening in the world of work that make apprenticeships an important way to develop foundational skills and get the best start in a new career.

In the engineering and manufacturing sector, for example, workers need to learn a variety of different skills, from welding to working at height. Apprenticeships offer a structured and effective way for learners to pick up these critical skills, gain valuable hands-on experience, and study towards a qualification that will help them stand out.

In turn, employers can develop and shape their apprentices’ career progression and help meet their business objectives at the same time. Companies can stay on top of industry innovation by allowing their apprentices to work across different skill sets, and even pass on their knowledge to other incoming talent.

Apprenticeships are a benefit to both apprentice and employer. The apprentice gets to earn money while learning new skills, obtaining a widely-recognised qualification while enjoying the perks of a full-time role. Employers get an enthusiastic and steady stream of talent that can help the business develop in new areas and continue practising critical skills.

Are apprenticeships hard to get?

Competition for and availability of apprenticeships have shown that demand for apprenticeships far outstrips supply. A 2023 study by UCAS and the Sutton Trust showed that one in three students (35%) had an interest in apprenticeships but could not find a role in their desired career, while three in five (61%) could not find one in their preferred location.

A 2026 update to Enginuity’s Vocational Attitudes Survey showed that six in ten students (58.9%) felt they were signposted more towards university than taking the vocational route. Although a reduction from the 2025 figure of seven in ten, or 68.8%, it may be that learners, as well as schools, and even employers, aren’t making the most of the opportunity. In 2022 it was estimated that more than £3 billion of apprenticeship levy funding was left unspent by business.

(Source: IPPR)

The rising cost of university is creating more interest in taking up an apprenticeship, but employers and training providers may be underestimating the demand. More needs to be made of the opportunity to bring workplace-based learning to the fore.

Employers across England rely on EAL’s expert apprenticeship services to develop apprentices' skills and knowledge across a broad range of engineering and manufacturing standards. Find out how we're connecting apprentices and employers to create exciting relationships and drive the sector forward.