Enter your career in healthcare

There are many different apprenticeship opportunities available, at different entry levels across primary, secondary, community care and the social care sector. 

Apprenticeships provide you with the opportunity to earn while you learn, with most employers paying you more than the minimum wage. Your apprenticeship will be a mix of time spent on work placement and days at a training centre or college. Many apprenticeships can lead to a permanent role.

How to apply

If you are interested in an apprenticeship in health or care in Kent and Medway, you can apply by contacting an employer directly or via NHS jobs or Trac.

There are no age restrictions to an apprenticeship, although some clinical settings require a minimum age of 16 or 18 for safety reasons. Find opportunities near you: 

Vacancies

NHS apprenticeship standards

Social care apprenticeships 

What you need to know

  • If you are aged 16 to 18 or 19 plus and in your first year of an apprenticeship, the minimum you should receive is £6.40 an hour (the national minimum wage for apprentices). However, many health and care employers will pay you more than the national minimum wage, which from 1 April 2025 will be £12.21 for over 21-year-olds, £10.00 for 18-20 year-olds and £7.55 for 16-17 year-olds.
  • Over a week, you're likely to spend the equivalent of four days on work placement and one day at a training centre or college.
  • You'll gain a competence qualification (based on what you can do in the workplace) and a knowledge qualification, or a qualification combining both.
  • Anyone over the age of 16 can do an apprenticeship.
  • Apprenticeships take between one and five years to complete.
  • You'll develop your skills, including English and maths.

Apprenticeship levels

Health and care apprenticeships are available at several levels:

Level 2 - equivalent to GCSEs.

Level 3 - equivalent to A-levels or a T-level.

Levels 4 and 5 - equivalent to a foundation degree and above.

Levels 6 and 7 - equivalent to a full bachelors or masters degree.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements depend on the employer and the type and level of apprenticeship.

For example, you may be required to have functional skills in maths or English to do a level 2 apprenticeship. You can do a functional skills test online, search for courses on the National Careers website. 

You may need four or five GCSEs at grades nine to four (A to C) or equivalent to do a level three apprenticeship. To start a level five or six apprenticeship you're likely to need A-levels, equivalent level three qualifications or relevant and sufficient experience.