Apprentices earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. As an apprentice you can receive training to work towards nationally recognised qualifications.

Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship.

Key benefits

• Earn a Salary (minimum salary is £95.50 a week, increasing to £115.50 from October 2015)
• Get Paid Holidays
• Receive Training
• Gain Qualifications
• Learn Job-specific Skills 

The National Apprenticeship Service

Information has been taken from The National Apprenticeship Service which has information for potential apprentices, employers and parents.

They also have information on a whole range of apprenticeships on offer in the biosciences. Animal Care, Environmental Conservation, Horticulture and Veterinary Nursing are just a few of the biology related apprenticeships that you could undertake. 

Cogent

Cogent offer apprenticeships in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and have useful information on their website.

They have produced A Guide to Apprenticeships in the Science Industries which has information on getting into apprenticeships.

They also have a range pathways designed to offer apprentices choices so they can select a training programme that best fits business needs:

• Life Sciences Pathway
• Process Development Pathway
• Packaging Development Pathway
• Chemical Science Pathway
• Healthcare Science Pathway
• Food Science Pathway

Cogent have interactive career paths which you can follow to find out the entry level, key skills needed and the salary and conditions for each apprenticeship.

Case Studies of apprenticeships can also be found on the Cogent site.