A Level 5 apprenticeship is much like any other apprenticeship that you could choose to do. You’ll spend 80% of your time with your employer, working in your day-job and 20% of your time with your training provider, college or university working towards your level 5 qualification.

What you’ll actually do on a daily basis will not only depend on the apprenticeship that you choose but also the employer and training provider who offers you the qualification. You could be working in an office, onsite or working remotely and your qualification could be offered at a university, college or even online depending on who you study with.

When you’re searching for opportunities, be sure to take a look at the job description which will include what you could get up to on a daily basis. This will help you understand what your apprenticeship could be like. With larger employers and some training providers, you could also attend an event to hear from current apprentices what their experience is like.

When you finish your level 5 (higher) apprenticeship, you’ll gain an apprenticeship at level 5 which may include a qualification such as a DipHE, or HND, or a qualification from a professional institution. Check this out as every apprenticeship is different and you’ll need to understand what you are working towards.

An apprenticeship works very similarly regardless of the level of qualification you choose to do. You’ll spend 20% of your working time working towards your apprenticeship, this could be done once a week, or on block release and you could train online in the workplace, at home or go to an external training provider, college or university.

You’ll spend the remaining 80% of your time doing your day job, this will vary depending on what apprenticeship you choose to do and what your job role is. You may find that someone doing the same apprenticeship as you could have an entirely different job role; this will vary depending on the employer you work for.

Entry requirements for level 5 apprenticeships vary depending on the employer and training provider that you apply through, however there are some basic requirements most level 5 apprenticeships will require. You’ll likely need to have a minimum of level 3 qualifications, such as a level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship, A-Levels, BTEC or NVQ. However, if you have considerable experience in the discipline the apprenticeship is in, you may not need qualifications.

Level 5 apprenticeships are sometimes publicised as graduate apprenticeships as they are often offered to graduates when they finish university to gain relevant skills in a job if it is different from what they studied at university. You won’t gain another Bachelor's degree as part of one though – that is level 6 and above.

There are over 30 level 5 apprenticeships for you to choose from including:

• Vet technician
• Golf course manager
• Leader in adult care
• Rail and Rail systems engineer
• Air traffic controller
• Food and drink engineer
• HR consultant partner
• Nuclear Technician
• Operations Manager
• Dental Technician

As a level 5 apprentice, you’ll get support from your employer and your training provider to ensure that you succeed in both your role and your qualification too. You’ll have a manager in your workplace who will support you in your day-to-day job and someone at the training provider who will help you through the qualification. You may even get a workplace mentor from the training provider or your employer who can help you with things you may not want to talk to your manager about, often mentors are people who have recently finished an apprenticeship themselves so can offer some sound advice!

An apprenticeship won’t cost you a penny, apart from the odd meal-deal and commuting costs. You’ll be paid at least Apprentice Minimum wage for the first year of your apprenticeship and then National Minimum Wage for your age group after that. We’ve seen some Level 5 apprenticeships pay over £25,000 per annum from your first year – that’s a salary graduates would be happy to receive!

Working towards a level 5 qualification on its own can be challenging as it will likely be the highest level of qualification you’ve worked towards, regardless of the fact you’ll also have a full-time job! If you have good time management skills, enjoy your job and are passionate about getting an additional qualification, you’ll be fine. Bear in mind that if you are successful in a level 5 apprenticeship application, your employer and training provider believe in you and want you to succeed, so they’ll support you to achieve everything you can.