A practical guide to apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing
Apprenticeships are a practical way to learn a job while doing it. You earn a wage, work alongside experienced teams, and develop the technical skills industry actually needs - all while working towards a recognised qualification.
In advanced manufacturing, apprenticeships often lead to roles in production, engineering, quality, digital and technical support. Many are based in live working environments, using real tools, machinery and standards.
This page is for students, career starters and parents who want a clear view of what apprenticeships involve - and what to do next.
What an apprenticeship is
An apprenticeship is a job with a formal training plan. You spend most of your time in the workplace, supported by structured learning from a college, training provider or university.
You’ll:
- work as part of a delivery team
- learn how to operate safely and consistently
- follow a defined plan to build your capability
- complete a recognised qualification as part of the role
These aren’t generic schemes. In manufacturing, apprenticeships are designed to meet real operational needs - and the standards that go with them.
Structure and progression
Every apprenticeship follows a national standard. That means:
- a job with real responsibilities
- a training plan built around what the role requires
- regular reviews and assessments
- a formal end-point assessment to check competence
Apprenticeships aren’t a shortcut. They’re a structured route into skilled work - and, for many, the start of a long career in engineering or manufacturing.
Different levels, different routes
Apprenticeships exist at multiple levels:
- Intermediate / Advanced
For people starting out in hands-on, technician or process roles - Higher
For deeper technical roles, often with more responsibility - Degree
University-level learning, built around a real job
What matters most is not the title - but what you’ll actually do, and what the qualification enables you to progress into.
Why apprenticeships matter
Manufacturing depends on people who can get the job done - safely, repeatedly, and to a standard. Apprenticeships are one way organisations build that capability over time.
They support:
- delivery-critical roles
- succession and skills planning
- long-term resilience across supply chains
In many cases, apprentices become the most capable operators on a line - because they’ve learned it from the ground up.
NCC’s role
NCC works with hundreds of manufacturers across the UK - including global OEMs, tier suppliers and specialist SMEs.
Many of these employers rely on apprenticeships to develop the skills they need in production, materials, digital and engineering roles.
Our role is to support delivery across this ecosystem - and that includes supporting the workforce systems that underpin UK capability.
Final note
Apprenticeships aren’t for everyone. But for the right person, in the right environment, they’re a reliable way into meaningful work.
National Apprenticeship Week is a good moment to look past headlines and explore what’s really out there.
Working with Gatsby Foundation, our composite apprentice Sam Slingsby gave an overview of his role at NCC and why he loves the job!
This National Apprenticeship week, we're highlighting the growing role of high-quality, non-degree pathways – and why they are becoming central to the UK’s industrial capability.
For a long time, the UK’s skills system has tilted toward academic achievement, and a thirst for graduates - that has now changed.
