This article was created in collaboration with WorldSkills UK.
Technical education and apprenticeships give you the skills and knowledge you need to kickstart your career. They’re created with industries and jobs in mind, and there are new courses and pathways being created all the time.
What does the research say?
The Skills for Success in the UK Screen Industries report from WorldSkills UK states that employers increasingly recognise the importance of both academic and technical education in accessing skills and diverse talent. They value technical education and apprenticeships just as much as university degrees!
In their report, WorldSkills UK asked over 2,000 young people about their barriers for accessing employment to the screen industries (film, TV, video games). They were most likely to say that being ‘unsure of the skills needed’, ‘unsure of jobs and career pathways’, and ‘unsure of the right qualifications and training’ were barriers. Have you ever felt like this?
Many other industries, just like the screen industries, need a wide range of technical skills. This is why there are lots of pathways open to you, whatever industry you’re interested in. Technical education and apprenticeships are one of the options – they allow you to build expertise and practical skills, while getting experience too.
Let’s take a look at what your technical education and apprenticeship options are in the UK:
- What is technical education?
- What is an apprenticeship?
- Apprenticeships in the UK
- Find apprenticeship jobs
- What industries can you work in?
What is technical education?
Technical education means any training that focuses on progression into skilled employment, helps you build practical skills, and gives you the specialised knowledge that’s valuable in the industry you want to work in.
Higher technical qualifications
Higher technical education is a form of higher education that has classroom-based qualifications. You’ll study with a college, university or training provider. This also includes higher apprenticeships that are designed to lead you to high skilled jobs in an area that interests you.
Higher technical education is generally for those aged 18+, and includes qualifications such as foundation degrees, Higher National Certificates (HNC) or Higher National Diplomas (HND) and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQ).
Higher education is usually considered qualifications at Level 4 and above. Some technical qualifications you might study at Level 2 – 3 or SCQF 5 could include Btec’s, T Levels (in England only), National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).
For the most up to date qualification and pathway information in a specific sector you should refer to (IfATE) the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s occupational maps.
Click here to see your technical and higher technical education options available in the UK.
What is an apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are a paid opportunity to have a real job where you’ll also gain practical training and experience while studying.
You’ll complete 20% of your training with your college, university or training provider (aka off the job training) and 80% of your training on the job at work.
If you’re looking to start earning while gaining industry knowledge and technical skills from the get go, an apprenticeship is the perfect option for you.
UK apprenticeships
Each UK apprenticeship level has an equivalent education level. For example, a Higher Apprenticeship is equivalent to having a foundation degree or above. You can explore each level and its equivalent below.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland have the same apprenticeship levels (from 2-7), but Scotland does things a little differently.
Apprenticeship in Scotland
In Scotland, some apprenticeships will run similarly to other UK opportunities, where you’ll study with a training provider/college/university and work with an employer (Levels 5-11).
However, you also get the opportunity to choose an apprenticeship while you’re still in school. This allows you to study an apprenticeship and work with an employer, while still completing your other academic or vocational subjects at school.
Click here to explore each UK apprenticeship level and their education equivalent.
Apprenticeships near me
Use the interactive opportunity finder to look for apprenticeship jobs near you. You can find Level 2-7 apprenticeships in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What industries can you work in?
Wondering what industries you can work in using apprenticeships and technical education? Some examples include:
- Agriculture, environmental and animal care
- Business and administration
- Creative and design
- Digital
- Education and early years
- Engineering and manufacturing
- Health and science
- Legal, finance and accounting
- Sales, marketing and procurement
These are only a few of the areas you can find apprenticeships and technical education programmes. There are over 800 apprenticeship standards (courses) so there are so many jobs you can get through this training pathway.
But why are there so many? You can find a course in any industry you’re interested in because these qualifications are driven by industry demand and are a great way to:
- Get real and relevant industry experience which is valuable to employers
- Strong essential ‘transversal skills’ you can use in any job
- Technical skills you learn while studying or with an employer
- Professional and personal confidence and independence
Who are WorldSkills UK?
WorldSkills UK is a proud member of WorldSkills, a global movement of over 80 countries. WorldSkills supports young people across the world via competitions-based training, assessment and benchmarking, with members’ national teams ultimately testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills Olympics’.
WorldSkills UK inspires young people, whatever their background, to choose high-quality apprenticeships and technical education as prestigious career routes.
For inspiration on what technical education and apprenticeship options are available to you and the different industries and roles you can work in, check out the WorldSkills UK hub.
