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Before you enrol on an apprenticeship, it helps to know exactly what the government and your training provider expect of you. This guide walks through the rules that apply to every learner joining a National College of Education programme.
To begin an apprenticeship in England you need to be aged 16 or over on the day your programme starts, live in England for the duration of your training, and hold the right to work in the UK. There is no upper age limit. Whether you are a school leaver joining a trust as a teaching assistant or an experienced practitioner stepping into leadership, an apprenticeship is open to you.
You also need to be employed in a genuine job role that gives you the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard. For most of our programmes that means working in a school, multi-academy trust, college, sixth form, university or local authority team, for at least 30 hours per week.
Each apprenticeship has its own entry criteria. Level 3 pathways such as the Teaching Assistant and Early Years Educator apprenticeships typically require GCSEs at grade 4 or above in English and maths, or a willingness to work towards Functional Skills alongside your apprenticeship. Higher level and degree apprenticeships, including our Senior Leadership pathways, ask for a Level 3 qualification or equivalent professional experience.
If you already hold qualifications close to the content of the apprenticeship you want to study, we will carry out a short prior learning review. This makes sure the programme adds real value and that funding rules are respected.
Every apprenticeship must last at least 12 months and include a minimum of six hours of off-the-job learning each week. In practice, most NCE programmes run between 15 and 24 months depending on level and pathway. Your employer must agree to release you for that learning time in your paid working hours.
Once you have registered your interest, an NCE adviser will confirm your eligibility, talk you through the funding route your employer will use, and support you into a suitable role if you do not already have one. Nothing is signed off until you, your employer and NCE are confident the fit is right.
Ready to take the next step?
Tell us a little about your role and the sector you work in. A member of our learner team will be in touch with the pathways that fit you best.
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