You’re never too old to start an apprenticeship, it’s just a new opportunity to gain more qualifications or get new skills in a new industry.

You're never too old to start an apprenticeship, it's just a new opportunity to gain more qualifications or get new skills in a new industry.


The truth is that there is no such thing as adult apprenticeships; they are simply apprenticeships that an adult is doing. Apprenticeships are available for anyone of any age, in fact more than 50% of apprentices are over the age of 25! Apprenticeships themselves can be a fantastic way for you to retrain, change your career or develop in your current industry or profession, while being paid!


If you’re thinking about a change of career, then an apprenticeship could be perfect for you. You’ll be benefiting as you’ll continually learn and have the same (if not more) qualifications as those entering the workforce.


An apprenticeship could be for you if it’s your first job, you’ve been promoted to a new role which has more responsibilities or different skills, you’re looking for a change of career or you’re having to get a new job away from a manual role that’ll will require new skills.


For a long time, it has been generally considered that apprentices are just for school and college leavers, however this is no longer the case and more frequently apprentices are over the age of 25 - GetMyFirstJob has even placed someone in their 60s in an apprenticeship opportunity. Instead of thinking of an apprenticeship as something for young people, consider it a way to retrain, get new qualifications and continue to earn a salary while you're on the programme.


An apprenticeship goes beyond that; it’ll develop your job; qualifications and your career so will cover an expansive journey to help you become an expert. It will reignite your sense of curiosity, discovery and improvement within your job.


You’re never too old to do an apprenticeship

There is no upper age limit for becoming an apprentice, although arrangements for funding do differ if you are over 24 years of age. There is fair access to apprenticeships and so your age shouldn’t affect whether you’ll get onto an apprenticeship. 

Funding for apprenticeships

If you decide to do an apprenticeship, your employer will pay you a salary and support you in your training. You’ll be paid for your normal working hours as well as the training that’s part of your apprenticeship.

If you’re over 24, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of your training and this can be done through an Advanced Learner Loan. You could also be eligible for money from the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund if you need help while you’re studying; eg childcare, travel or trips related to your course.

You can get further details about that here.

An apprenticeship is no longer what it used to be. You can now get apprenticeships at degree level; if you’ve got experience but you’re struggling to get to the next stage on your career ladder that degree could be what is stopping you. So get your company to support you through the programme!

In fact, many Level 6 and Level 7 apprenticeships require at least 5 years experience in an industry if you're joining a new company, so they are primarily aimed towards adults with considerable experience.

If you’re thinking about an apprenticeship, you can register here. This will give you exclusive access to emails to the biggest brands that are currently hiring for apprentices as well as smaller ones closer to where you live.

Great Apprenticeships to get onto the next stage of the career ladder find out more about apprenticeships in lots of different industries. See what Colleges & Training Providers we work with and speak to them about how they can support you. 

In summary, adult apprenticeships are a fantastic way to develop in your current role or retrain in a new occupation. There isn’t an age limit on apprenticeships and we hope there never is!

Apprenticeships