Did you know that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the single largest provider of apprenticeships in the UK with more than 18,000 available every year (of which some 2,000 are advanced/higher apprenticeships).

The armed forces of the United Kingdom, and the civil service, offer a viable alternative to higher and further education – providing quality apprenticeships allowing students to work and get paid to learn.

The MOD offers apprenticeships in a variety of trades from engineering and construction, to hospitality and animal care (300+ specialist employment areas) – both in the armed forces and fast-track schemes on the civilian side.

More than 95% of new recruits enrol in an apprenticeship every year, with the majority completing their training within 2 years.

Although apprentices have been around since the middle ages, the range of trades they teach has spread over the last century from the more traditional, such as construction, paper-making and printing, to encompass emerging sectors such as engineering and shipbuilding.

Apprenticeships continue to reflect the emerging areas in the economy such as retail, business and information technology.

The most popular apprenticeship subject in 2010-11 was ‘customer service’.