Apprenticeship glossary

School leaver programme

What does School leaver programme mean?

An employer's scheme for people finishing school or college, often an apprenticeship. Deloitte, for example, calls its school and college leaver programmes BrightStart.

Find out more

Employer profile Deloitte UK apprenticeships A professional services firm that took on 182 BrightStart apprentices in 2026. Its apprenticeships go from Level 3 business admin to 48-month Level 7 accountancy programmes with the ACA, across advisory, audit, consulting, tax and internal teams.
Apprentice
Someone doing an apprenticeship: an employee who is paid to work and train towards a recognised qualification at the same time.
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.
School-leaving age
The earliest age you can legally leave school. It and the leaving dates differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
SCQF
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, Scotland's system of levels. Its numbers don't match England's: SCQF Level 6 is the level of a Higher, but Level 6 in England is degree level.
Security clearance
Checks some employers, especially in defence, need you to pass before you can work on certain projects. BAE Systems says everyone needs at least the Baseline Personnel Security Standard.
Shift work
Working set periods that can include early mornings, nights or weekends. Amazon's mechatronics apprentices, for example, may work weekend or night shifts.

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.