Is There An Upper Age Limit To Becoming An Apprentice

The government states that you need to be over 16 to become an apprentice in the UK. There is no upper age limit.

What About Wages Depending On Age?

The current minimum wage is set by the government at 16-18 years of age £7.55 per hour and this includes paid time for study at college.

For an apprentice aged 19 and over the minimum wage for the first year is also set at £7.55 per hour.

This is a minimum only and no maximum wage is suggested for apprentices. With the introduction of degree apprenticeships designed to upskill an exisitng workforce the average wage has increased.

Why Choose An Apprenticeship

There are several benefits especially for careers in construction. The main benefit is that you can earn as you learn and the education is free to the apprentice.

The hand skills required to work on the tools are very much at the front of my list of benefits here. Personally I needed that time to be with other skilled electricians who had decades of tips and experience to help me.

This is not to say that working alongside an electrician and learning wont work if you are not an apprentice!

Why Being An Older Apprentice May Be A Positive

Employers increasingly value your transferable skills and we are seeing more and more companies choosing to work with older, mature career changers.

Is An Apprenticeship The Only Route To Be A Qualified Electrician

Not at all, in fact an increasing number of people are paying for their own courses and attending at weekends or evenings to make it work financially for them and their families. Taking this route can be quicker, but you will need to make the move into full time electricians mate or an improver to get the depth of experience required to finish your portfolio of on-site evidence.

Next Steps…

If you would like to chat about other routes to becoming qualified fill out our contact form here.

Thanks and we look forward to helping you further with your career.