You already know the advantages of training as an apprentice but have you considered what you would like to do next?

You may wish to make further progress in your profession and may need to consider further qualifications. More and more apprentices are now going on to obtain higher-level qualifications to support them in their careers.

You have a number of options, depending on the level of education that you want to attain and way that you want to study:

• Vocational training, leading to NVQ levels 4 or 5. These are common in the accountancy or insurance skill areas. The higher-level NVQs allow you to gain professional qualifications leading to membership of the relevant Association or Institute.
• BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC). This is the typical route for engineers and those involved in construction. An HNC is equivalent to the first year of a degree course.
• BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) - a qualification that is common in a number of skill areas, including management. Your HND will allow you to join a degree course to gain a full degree, with one or two years' further study, depending on the subject.
• Foundation Degree – this is a new class of degree, developed especially for those following work-based learning routes. They can be studied on a full-time or day-release basis and are similar level to HNDs. They can be topped-up to an Honours Degree by further study.
• Honours Degrees - these are only usually available as full-time qualifications, lasting from 3 to 6 years, depending on the subject. Some are available as ‘sandwich’ courses, where a year is spent on work experience following the first 2 years of study, and a final year is spent back in the university. Many now offer the final year as a part-time option for those accessing the course from an HND or Foundation Degree.
• There are two other degree-level qualifications available - Certificate in Higher Education and Diploma in Higher Education. These are typically taken by those in nursing, care and other health-related areas.