Thinking About Apprenticeships?
Recruiting and developing early-career ecologists with a desirable skill-set is a growing challenge across the sector. Many organisations, ranging from small consultancies to large multidisciplinary teams, are exploring apprenticeships as a way to build skills and support long-term workforce development. However, there is often uncertainty about how apprenticeships work in practice, what they involve, and whether they are the right fit.
In practice, many employers find that apprenticeships are more manageable than expected, particularly when clear guidance and support are in place.
At a glance:
- Training is usually fully funded or heavily subsidised
- Apprentices are employed as part of your team
- Training providers support setup and delivery
- Apprenticeships provide a structured route into the profession and ongoing career progression
This guide explains how apprenticeships work, what’s involved for employers, how they compare to graduate recruitment, and what support is available, helping you decide whether this approach could work for your organisation.
Can This Work for My Organisation?
Employers often have similar questions when considering an apprenticeship, particularly around time, cost and how it fits alongside existing workloads. These are valid concerns, and in most cases they can be addressed with the right structure and support.
In practice, apprentices are integrated into day-to-day work and develop their skills through real project experience. While supervision is required, this is often part of existing team roles, with line managers or experienced staff providing guidance as they would for any early-career team member. Over time, apprentices typically become more independent and begin contributing directly to project work.
Training is usually covered or heavily subsidised through the apprenticeship system, reducing the financial burden for employers. While apprentices are paid a salary, this is aligned to an entry-level role and reflects their stage of development.
Apprenticeships do require planning, particularly around workloads, travel or seasonal demands. However, with support from training providers, many organisations find they are more straightforward to implement than expected.
How Apprenticeships Work
Apprenticeships combine paid employment with structured training, allowing individuals to develop practical skills alongside formal learning.
Employers recruit an apprentice in a similar way to other entry-level roles, often with support from a training provider. Once in post, the apprentice becomes part of the team, contributing to real work such as fieldwork, data collection and project support.
Alongside their role, apprentices complete structured training delivered by a provider, typically accounting for around 20% of their working time. Employers provide day-to-day supervision, while training providers support delivery, monitor progress and help ensure that programme requirements are met.
During and at the end of the programme, the apprentice completes assessments to demonstrate their competence in the role. The format and timing of this assessment may vary by apprenticeship and region.
What This Looks Like In Practice
Example 1: Canal & River Trust
Aaron joined the Canal & River Trust as a Waterways Environment Apprentice, working on the Unlocking the Severn project. His role included maintaining fish passes, improving habitats and supporting volunteer-led conservation work.
During his apprenticeship, Aaron developed both practical and project skills, and has since progressed into a Volunteer Leader role, continuing to work on waterways and environmental projects.
Read Aaron’s apprenticeship story here.
Example 2: Career Pathway – From Apprentice to Ranger
Hayden Bridgeman began her career through an Environmental Conservation apprenticeship, building practical experience in habitat management and conservation work.
During her apprenticeship, she developed skills in ecological surveying, site management and working with the public. She has since progressed into a role as a National Park ranger in the New Forest, where her work includes managing habitats, engaging visitors and supporting conservation projects.
Watch Hayden’s story:
Read Hayden’s full career journey here.
Understanding Costs: Funding, Levy and Salary
If you’re considering an apprenticeship, the cost structure is often simpler and more flexible than expected.
Training is funded through the apprenticeship system. Employers with a pay bill over £3 million contribute through the apprenticeship levy (0.5% of payroll), which can be used to pay for training and assessment. Most smaller organisations do not pay the levy and instead contribute around 5% of training costs, with the government funding the remainder. In some cases, such as levy transfers, training costs can be fully covered. As funding is devolved, arrangements may vary slightly across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
These funds can be used not only to recruit new apprentices, but also to upskill existing employees. This may include supporting progression into roles such as team leaders, project managers, or other more senior or specialist positions.
Employers are responsible for paying the apprentice’s salary. This follows UK minimum wage rules:
- £8.00 per hour for apprentices under 19, or those aged 19+ in their first year
- After the first year (if aged 19+), apprentices must be paid at least the minimum wage for their age
Many employers choose to pay above these minimum rates, depending on the role and organisational context.
Apprentices or Graduates? Why not both…
For many organisations, graduate recruitment is the most familiar route into the profession. Apprenticeships offer a complementary approach, with a different structure and set of benefits.
Graduate recruits typically enter with academic knowledge but may require time to develop practical experience in the workplace. Apprentices, by contrast, build their skills within the organisation from the outset, combining learning with hands-on experience. Over time, this can lead to strong alignment with organisational processes, the development of role-specific skills, and increased confidence in practical tasks. Because apprentices develop within the organisation over a longer period, they may also contribute to longer-term workforce stability and retention.
Many organisations choose to use both routes, depending on their needs. Apprenticeships can be particularly valuable where there is a focus on developing practical skills, supporting entry into the profession, and building capability over time. An additional benefit of employing an apprentice is that almost all are required to undertake a project, which can be a great opportunity for you to look critically at an area of your business or a technique used in practice, leading to improved practice or business development.
Support for Employers
Employers are not expected to manage apprenticeships alone. A key feature of the model is the support available throughout. Training providers guide employers through setup, support recruitment and onboarding, deliver the structured training, and monitor progress over time. They also help ensure that programme requirements are clearly understood and met.
Throughout the apprenticeship, employers and apprentices benefit from ongoing support, including regular check-ins, progress reviews, and structured guidance. This helps ensure that any challenges can be identified early and addressed effectively.
Taken together, this creates a collaborative and supported approach, helping ensure that apprenticeships are structured, manageable, and aligned with organisational needs.
Taking the First Step
If you’re considering an apprenticeship, a useful starting point is to explore how the role could fit within your organisation and to speak with a training provider about available options.
Even small initial steps, such as understanding funding, discussing delivery models, or identifying where an apprentice could contribute, can help you decide whether this approach is right for your organisation.
Explore Apprenticeships by Country
Apprenticeship systems vary across the UK and Ireland, with differences in structure, funding and delivery. Visit the pages below to explore how each system works and the opportunities available in each country.
Other Useful Resources
If you’d like to explore apprenticeships in more detail, the following resources provide guidance on funding, training and how to get started.
- The Find Employer Schemes service helps organisations explore government support available for apprenticeships. It provides information on funding, training options and how to recruit an apprentice, helping employers understand what support is available and how to get started.
- The Apprenticeships for Employers service provides guidance on how to hire and train apprentices in England. It covers key information on funding, choosing training providers, recruiting apprentices and managing apprenticeship programmes, helping employers understand how to set up and run an apprenticeship.
- The financial support for apprenticeships page explains how employers can access funding and incentives to help cover the costs of taking on an apprentice. This includes government contributions towards training and, in some cases, additional payments (such as up to £2,000) to support recruiting and developing apprentices.
- The SME Apprenticeship Essentials programme offers free, flexible online training designed to help employers understand and manage apprenticeships effectively. It provides practical guidance, tools and real-world advice on areas such as onboarding, supporting apprentices, coaching and building a positive learning environment.