Apprenticeships across the UK

Each UK nation runs its own apprenticeships. The basic idea is the same everywhere (a paid job with training), but the names, levels, rules and official websites are different. A lot of advice online assumes you’re in England, so it’s worth checking which rules actually apply to you.

That can depend on where you live and where the job is. England’s rules talk about living in England, for example, while Wales’s degree apprenticeship rules are about working in Wales. If you live near a border, check both. Some employers, like Network Rail, even run separate programmes for different nations.

England

• Official source: GOV.UK
• Levels: Level 2 (foundation and intermediate) up to Level 7, with degree apprenticeships at Levels 6 and 7.
• Who can apply: anyone 16 or over who lives in England and isn’t in full-time education.

Our guide to apprenticeship levels has the full table.

More detail: our full guide to apprenticeships in England.

Scotland

• Official source: Apprenticeships.scot
• Foundation Apprenticeships are a subject you can choose at school in S5 or S6, at SCQF Level 6. You get industry experience while you’re still at school.
• Modern Apprenticeships are paid jobs with training. There are over 100 types, from SCQF Level 4/5 up to Level 11, and most take one to four years. You need to be over the legal school-leaving age in Scotland.
• Graduate Apprenticeships get you a degree, from SCQF Level 9 to Level 11, over two to five years.

Scotland uses the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), so its level numbers don’t line up with England’s.

More detail: our full guide to apprenticeships in Scotland.

Wales

• Official source: Welsh Government (gov.wales)
• Foundation Apprenticeship: Level 2, like five GCSEs or an NVQ Level 2.
• Apprenticeship: Level 3, like two A levels or an NVQ Level 3.
• Higher Apprenticeship: Levels 4 and 5, like an HNC, HND or foundation degree.
• Degree Apprenticeship: Level 6, like a bachelor’s degree. These are in ICT and digital, engineering and advanced manufacturing jobs.

Apprenticeships in Wales are open to anyone aged 16 and over. Watch out for one confusing bit: a “foundation apprenticeship” means something different in Wales (a Level 2 apprenticeship) and in Scotland (a school subject).

More detail: our full guide to apprenticeships in Wales.

Northern Ireland

• Official source: nidirect
• Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeships: over 100 types. Each level takes up to two years, and you can go from Level 2 to Level 3, or start at Level 3 if you have the qualifications.
• Higher Level Apprenticeships: Levels 4 to 7, taking at least two years.

The ApprenticeshipsNI programme is open to anyone 16 or over who has a job, or an employer willing to take them on as an apprentice.

More detail: our full guide to apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.

Apprenticeships in numbers

Each nation publishes its own statistics, over different periods and in slightly different ways, so you can’t compare them exactly. They do show the scale.

Nation	Latest yearly starts	Period	Other figures
England	353,500	Academic year 2024/25	39.8% of starts at Level 4 or above
Scotland	24,849 (Modern Apprenticeships)	Financial year 2025/26	80.3% completion rate; 41.2% of starts by women; 82.7% at SCQF Level 6 or above
Wales	18,850	Academic year 2024/25	Down 13% on 2023/24, the lowest since records began in 2012/13
Northern Ireland	7,309 (ApprenticeshipsNI, Levels 2–3)	Academic year 2024/25	48% at Level 2, 48% at Level 3; higher level apprenticeships are counted separately

Quick comparison

Nation	Where most people start	Degree-level route
England	Level 2 and Level 3	Degree apprenticeships (Levels 6–7)
Scotland	Modern Apprenticeships	Graduate Apprenticeships (SCQF 9–11)
Wales	Foundation Apprenticeship (Level 2), Apprenticeship (Level 3)	Degree Apprenticeships (Level 6)
Northern Ireland	Level 2 and Level 3	Higher Level Apprenticeships (Levels 4–7)

Rules change, so check the official source for your nation before you make any plans.