Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is an accredited qualification undertaken as part of a paid job whereby you will utilise your studies to develop skills that will aid your career development. Apprenticeships can be undertaken across a range of sectors and industry-specific roles. 

Key features of an apprenticeship 

• Learning: You will be given protected time during your working week to complete the various elements of your course/qualification for the duration of your employment.
• Work: Utilise your new knowledge and skills within the workplace to effectively conduct your role and bring new insights to your team/role.
• End-Point Assessment: Once your training period is complete, you will need to partake in your End-Point Assessment to demonstrate & discuss the new knowledge you have learnt and how you have applied this in your role.
• Benefits: Like any other employee, you will earn a wage and have access to your company benefits, alongside having exposure to internal development opportunities.
• Support: You will have support from colleagues, your line-manager, your tutor, a skills coach and the wider apprenticeships team to help you navigate your apprenticeship.

Who can do an apprenticeship?

Anyone aged 16 or older and living in England can apply for an apprenticeship. There are many different types of apprenticeships at various academic levels depending on your skills and qualifications.

How to apply

You can search and apply for Staffordshire County Council apprenticeships online. Our apprenticeship opportunities are advertised on:

Jobs and careers with Staffordshire County Council.

Level of Apprenticeship

• Foundation/Intermediate - Level 2 
• Advanced - Level 3
• Higher - Levels 4-7
• Degree - Levels 6-7

What can you study?

Apprenticeships are available across many academic and work-based sectors. At Staffordshire County Council, due to the nature of the services we provide and size of our organisation, we support apprenticeship opportunities in…

• Accounting
• Cybersecurity
• Data Governance
• Engineering
• Health & Care
• HR
• Law
• Marketing
• Social Work
• Teaching
• And more!

If you’d like to see what types of apprenticeships exist more generally, you can search here Apprenticeship search / Skills England.

How much does it cost?

Training funding for apprenticeships is provided by the Skills & Growth Levy which Staffordshire County Council can access for their employees. No fees are incurred by the learner wishing to enrol onto an apprenticeship.

How much do apprentices get paid?

The minimum wage for apprentices is £8.00 per hour, but many employers pay a more competitive salary. 

Apprentice salaries are not age dependent for the first 12 months of your apprenticeship. Following this, you should be paid the National Minimum Wage for your age. Apprentice salaries at Staffordshire County Council are aligned to the Apprenticeship Pay Scale reflected by the grade of the role you are in.

National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates - GOV.UK

Who delivers the training?

At Staffordshire County Council, we work with a range of local and national training providers across our programmes, with various delivery models and courses to suit the differing needs of our business areas and people.

How long does it take?

The minimum duration an apprenticeship can be completed in is 8 months. Most apprenticeships range from 1 to 4 years.

What happens after?

Following the completion of an apprenticeship, you may be eligible to apply for a promotion, remain in your job post, or move onto another apprenticeship to further develop your skills.

Pastoral Support

Our dedicated Apprenticeships Team at Staffordshire County Council are here to support our existing colleagues and new recruits with their apprenticeship journey, offering advice, guidance and support where needed. 

For any queries relating to apprenticeships at Staffordshire County Council, please contact apprentices@staffordshire.gov.uk.