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Find an apprenticeship at YPO

News
Rachael Fearnley
15 May 2025

Our apprenticeship vacancies are officially live! This year, YPO will be recruiting 11 apprentices across areas of the business including supply chain, sales, finance, HR, IT, marketing and the warehouse.

What is an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are paid positions that provide the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience within an industry, while also providing dedicated time to learn and complete assignments as you work towards a relevant qualification.

Is an apprenticeship right for you? Sadia, 23, a Multi-channel Marketing Apprentice at YPO, believes that “apprenticeships are for anyone who is looking to gain hands-on experience, upskill or even change their careers to their desired field/industry”.

But aren’t apprenticeships for 16-year-olds? One of the common misconceptions about apprenticeships is that they are only for people of a specific age or experience level. This, however, is not true.

Did you know that fewer than 28% of the apprentices that began their career path between August 2024 and January 2025 were under the age of 19, while more than 40% of them were 25 or older? As outlined by Gov.uk, anyone aged 16 or above that lives in England and is not in full-time education can begin an apprenticeship.

So, can you do an apprenticeship if you have a degree? Simply put, yes. However, the apprenticeship you are applying to must be different from your degree.

Rachael, 28, a Digital Marketing Apprentice, says: “I already had a degree in history and psychology when I began my apprenticeship at YPO. The important factor is that you need to be able to gain significant new knowledge and experience in the area that you choose to do an apprenticeship in. I had very limited knowledge or experience in digital marketing, but it was something I was interested in pursuing.”

Why become an apprentice?

There are many reasons to choose an apprenticeship as your first or next step in your career and education. Apprenticeships offer valuable experience in industry and provide the opportunity to gain skills and a qualification.

Oliver, 19, a Data Technician Apprentice says: “I have a background in technology and data, completing a year of a computer science course at college. After deciding to follow a career in data, I looked for a Data Technician Apprenticeship.

“I wanted to be able to combine a job and learning, so I could apply skills learnt immediately to my job. By choosing an apprenticeship, I was able to consolidate my knowledge and be more effective in my role.”

For anyone looking for a career change, apprenticeships can provide an opportunity to get into their desired industry, while maintaining an income.

Shelbie, 26, a Business Administration Apprentice, says: “I had been in full time employment in a range of different areas such as hospitality, care work, and housekeeping. I wanted to get into a more admin role. However, a lot of jobs require you to have previous experience. I thought doing an apprenticeship was a good option as I could get that experience while learning and still earning a living.”

How much do apprentices earn?

This depends on the company. At YPO, we pay our apprentices the standard national minimum wage in line with age category, rather than the national minimum apprentice wage.

Shelbie says: “The pay rate is extremely good for an apprentice and due to me being older and having a household to run, this made YPO a very appealing employer.”

Other benefits we offer our apprentices include discounted union membership, discounted gym membership, employee assistance program, family-friendly policies and more.

Applications are expected to close in about two weeks and interviews are expected to take place in June and July. The start date for the apprenticeship is expected to be the week commencing 18 August.

For more information and guidance on starting an apprenticeship with YPO, visit our dedicated apprenticeship page.

Find and apply for our apprenticeships on our vacancies page.

We wish you the best of luck!

Rachael Fearnley

Author

Rachael Fearnley

Digital Marketing Apprentice

YPO