Trades they train
Bricklayer
Lay brick, block and stone to build the structure of houses, extensions and commercial buildings — one of the…
- Pay
- £30k–£45k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Carpenter & Joiner
Cut, fit and fix timber — from roofs and studwork on site to staircases and doors made in a workshop.
- Pay
- £29k–£45k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Construction Site Supervisor
Run the day-to-day of a site: programme, people, safety, quality and materials.
- Pay
- £38k–£60k
- Level
- L4
- Train
- 2 years
Dry Liner / Interior Systems Installer
Build the internal walls and ceilings of commercial buildings in metal stud and plasterboard.
- Pay
- £28k–£44k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Groundworker
The first trade on site: dig, drain, concrete and lay the foundations everything else sits on.
- Pay
- £28k–£42k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1.5 years
Painter & Decorator
Prepare, paint, paper and finish interiors and exteriors — the last trade on site and the one everyone sees.
- Pay
- £26k–£38k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Plasterer
Finish walls and ceilings with plaster and render — the trade that decides whether a room looks right.
- Pay
- £28k–£42k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Roofer
Cover, weatherproof and repair roofs in slate, tile, felt, single-ply or lead.
- Pay
- £29k–£45k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Wall & Floor Tiler
Set out and fix ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles in kitchens, bathrooms and commercial spaces.
- Pay
- £27k–£42k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Electrician
Install, test, inspect and maintain electrical systems in homes, sites and industry — the best-paid of the…
- Pay
- £35k–£58k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3.5 years
Gas Engineer
Install, service and repair gas boilers, fires and appliances — legally restricted work, so qualified people…
- Pay
- £34k–£55k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 2 years
Heat Pump & Low Carbon Heating Installer
Install and commission heat pumps, cylinders and low-temperature heating — the fastest-growing trade in the…
- Pay
- £33k–£50k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3 years
Plumber & Heating Engineer
Install and maintain hot and cold water, heating systems, bathrooms and drainage in homes and commercial…
- Pay
- £32k–£52k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 4 years
Engineering Design & Draughtsperson
Turn concepts into the 2D drawings and 3D models that everyone else builds from.
- Pay
- £28k–£46k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3 years
Engineering Fitter
Assemble, install and adjust mechanical assemblies and machinery so they run right.
- Pay
- £32k–£48k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3 years
Machinist / CNC Technician
Produce precision components on lathes, mills and CNC machines to tolerances measured in hundredths of a…
- Pay
- £30k–£46k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3.5 years
Maintenance Engineering Technician
Keep production plant running — mechanical, electrical and control systems, planned and reactive.
- Pay
- £35k–£52k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3.5 years
Metal Fabricator
Cut, form and assemble steel and sheet metal into structures, vessels and components.
- Pay
- £31k–£46k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3.5 years
Welder
Join metal by hand to a standard that can be X-rayed — a skill that travels worldwide and pays for it.
- Pay
- £32k–£55k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1.5 years
HGV Technician
Maintain and repair trucks, trailers and commercial vehicles that cannot afford to be off the road.
- Pay
- £33k–£50k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3 years
Motor Vehicle Technician
Service, diagnose and repair cars — increasingly a job of electronics and data as much as spanners.
- Pay
- £29k–£45k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3 years
Vehicle Damage Panel Technician
Repair and replace crash-damaged bodywork and structures to manufacturer standards.
- Pay
- £30k–£45k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 3 years
Data Technician
Collect, clean, analyse and present the data organisations make decisions with.
- Pay
- £26k–£45k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 1.5 years
IT Support Technician
Fix the hardware, software and network problems that stop people working — the classic first job in tech.
- Pay
- £25k–£40k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 1.5 years
Network Engineer
Design, build and secure the networks everything else depends on.
- Pay
- £32k–£58k
- Level
- L4
- Train
- 2 years
Software Developer
Write, test and maintain the software businesses run on — without a computer science degree or its debt.
- Pay
- £30k–£60k
- Level
- L4
- Train
- 2 years
Adult Care Worker
Support adults to live well — in their own homes, in supported living or in residential care.
- Pay
- £23.5k–£30k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1 year
Dental Nurse
Work chairside supporting the dentist, and qualify while you earn with no university route needed.
- Pay
- £25k–£35k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 2 years
Healthcare Support Worker
Hands-on patient care in hospitals and the community — the widest open door into the NHS.
- Pay
- £24.5k–£30k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1 year
Chef
Cook professionally — the trade with the shortest route from beginner to genuinely skilled.
- Pay
- £26k–£45k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1 year
Hospitality Team Member
Front of house in bars, hotels and restaurants — the fastest way into paid work with a qualification attached.
- Pay
- £23k–£30k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1 year
Barber
Cut, fade and shave — a booming trade with low start-up costs and quick self-employment.
- Pay
- £22k–£40k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1.5 years
Beauty Therapist
Deliver facials, treatments and therapies in salons, spas and your own business.
- Pay
- £21k–£34k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1.5 years
Hairdresser
Cut, colour and style hair — and build a client book that belongs to you.
- Pay
- £22k–£40k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 2 years
Assistant Accountant
Keep the books, run payroll and prepare accounts — a profession you can qualify into without a degree.
- Pay
- £25k–£42k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 1.5 years
Business Administrator
Run the systems, records and coordination that keep an organisation working.
- Pay
- £24k–£34k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 1.5 years
Customer Service Practitioner
Handle the phone calls, emails and problems that decide whether a customer stays — a qualification every…
- Pay
- £23k–£31k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1 year
Early Years Educator
Care for and teach children under five in nurseries, pre-schools and schools.
- Pay
- £22k–£30k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 1.5 years
Retail Team Member
Serve customers, run a section and learn the trade of selling — the most widely available first job with a…
- Pay
- £22k–£30k
- Level
- L2
- Train
- 1 year
Teaching Assistant
Support pupils and teachers in the classroom, including children with additional needs.
- Pay
- £21.5k–£28k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 1.5 years
Team Leader / Supervisor
The first step into management — and the apprenticeship that formalises what you already do.
- Pay
- £29k–£42k
- Level
- L3
- Train
- 1 year