Apprenticeship glossary

Apprentice

What does Apprentice mean?

Someone doing an apprenticeship: an employee who is paid to work and train towards a recognised qualification at the same time.

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Guide What is an apprenticeship? An apprenticeship is a real, paid job with training built in. Here's how they work in England, what you get, who can apply, and how many people start one each year. Applies to: England
Apprenticeship
A real, paid job where you also train towards a recognised qualification. In England at least 20% of your normal working hours are spent training, and you don't pay tuition fees.
Holiday entitlement
The paid time off you get each year. Apprentices get at least 20 days plus bank holidays, and many employers give more.
Off-the-job training
The part of your apprenticeship spent learning rather than doing your normal job, at college, online or at work. In England it's at least 20% of your normal working hours.
A level
An advanced subject qualification usually taken over two years at sixth form or college in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It sits at Level 3, the same level as an advanced apprenticeship.
AAT
The Association of Accounting Technicians qualification, a common first step in accountancy apprenticeships. KPMG, for example, has audit apprentices study AAT Level 3 and 4 in their first two years.
ACA
The chartered accountancy qualification from the ICAEW. Several accountancy apprenticeships lead to it, like KPMG's five-year audit apprenticeship and Deloitte's 48-month Level 7 routes.

Definitions are our own plain-English summaries. Where we give figures, they come from the official sources listed on the linked guide or profile. Rules can change, so check the official source before you make decisions.