FIND YOUR OWN APPRENTICESHIP: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MAKING IT HAPPEN

In 2025, apprenticeships continue to be in demand! It’s easy to understand why, as they offer training, education and mentoring alongside a real job with a salary and responsibility.

Apprenticeships can truly be a game-changer for your career. This applies at any age, and whether you are leaving education or are already in employment.

If you have set your sights on an apprenticeship but can’t find your ideal one through the usual channels, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and forge your own path. We have compiled some pointers; you may well find an opportunity that isn’t advertised.

Start local: check out LCR BeMore

Your first stop should be the Liverpool City Region’s BeMore portal. It lists apprenticeship jobs, making it a great place to begin your hunt.

Whether you want a career in engineering, digital marketing, healthcare or any other industry, BeMore lists opportunities in the Liverpool City Region.

But what can you do if nothing matches your aspirations? Don’t worry, this is where your initiative comes into play. You can take a speculative approach and contact employers and training providers directly. We have broken down the fundamentals to help get your quest underway.

Three key players

Before diving in, it’s essential to understand how apprenticeships work. There are three key players involved:

1. You: As an apprentice, you’ll undertake a real job with responsibilities while dedicating some of your time to study and professional development.
2. The employer: They will pay you at least the minimum apprenticeship wage for your age and support your training by providing you with an agreed number of paid hours for learning and development.
3. The training provider: They oversee your off-the-job training, help you build a portfolio of evidence, and prepare you for an assessment to certify your skills and competence to do the job.

Step 1: Find the apprenticeship standard

The first step is to identify the apprenticeship standard for your chosen field. Standards are the equivalent of a syllabus, eg, like for your GCSEs. A standard lays out the skills and behaviours alongside the knowledge you will acquire during an apprenticeship.

Make a list of the industries you’d like to work in. Then consider matching an ideal job to your hobbies, interests, or the subjects in which you excelled in school. Then search for relevant apprenticeship standards on the Skills England website.

Top Tip: If you are already in a job, you can use the standard to open a discussion with your employer about enrolling you on an apprenticeship.

Step 2: Check your eligibility

When you find a standard that interests you, review the entry requirements. These can vary, but there are no hard-and-fast rules.

Be mindful of eligibility, but many employers are flexible and look at potential rather than grades.

Top Tip: Employers often use discretion when hiring. Consider in advance what you can offer instead of the expected qualifications.

Step 3: Research apprenticeship training providers

Training providers play a pivotal role in your apprenticeship journey. The government website will tell you all the training providers in England approved to deliver a specific apprenticeship standard.

Crucially, the site will also tell you the following about training providers:

• Whether they offer in-person, remote, or blended learning
• If they operate nationally or only in specific regions

Just because a training provider isn’t local doesn’t automatically mean they can’t oversee your training.

Top Tip: Training providers often have connections with local employers. Asking them if they’re actively recruiting for any roles that match your interests can be a back-door route into your dream role.

Step 4: Approach employers directly

Now you know what apprenticeship you want to do, if you can’t find an apprenticeship job advertised, it’s time to change tactics.

• Knock on doors: Metaphorically and practically! Reach out to local businesses and ask if they’d consider creating an apprenticeship for you. Use the standard to highlight the skills you’ll acquire and how they will be helpful.

• Show your understanding: Smaller firms might not be familiar with apprenticeships. If you have prepped some training providers that you will be looking for your own employer, you can link them together to realise your ambition of becoming an apprentice.
  
• Target larger firms: Many large companies are both employers and training providers, meaning they handle the entire apprenticeship process in-house.

• Explain the benefits: Some firms might not be aware of the many benefits apprenticeships bring to an organisation, including cost savings!

Top Tip: If a firm is already hiring apprentices, it means they have the processes in place. They might expand an existing apprenticeship programme to include your area of interest.

Step 5: Going the extra mile

When reaching out to employers, be professional and make sure you stand out. Here are some tips:

• Ask for a work trial: Suggest a short work trial to reduce perceived risk for the employer. Use it to demonstrate your enthusiasm and aptitude.

• Be creative: An imaginative mailer or letter could help you stand out. Whilst for digital roles, being tech-savvy in your approach is essential.   

• Tap into resources: If you are unemployed, your local Job Centre Plus will connect you with employers offering work trials or apprenticeships. They often have an inside track to the ‘hidden jobs market’.

• Network: Focus on relationships with colleagues and industry professionals during any work trials or work experiences. Leverage the power of a LinkedIn profile.

Top Tip: If you have your own radical ideas, why not try them out? You’ve very little or nothing to lose when conducting a speculative job search.

Step 6: Follow up

Remember, persistence pays off. Always follow up. A polite email or phone – or two – call can keep you front of mind and show your determination.

Top Tip: Timing can be everything.

Get lucky!

The harder you work, the luckier you’ll get. The popularity of apprenticeships means it might not happen immediately. In the meantime, take every opportunity to gain experience and build contacts.

Recognise the value of researching standards and training providers. Next, approaching employers speculatively could kickstart your career.  

The message here: don’t be scared to take the initiative; your future self will thank you for it.