Yes. A career in childcare can be both rewarding and fulfilling, offering opportunities to progress into senior practitioner, leadership, management, and specialist early years roles while making a positive impact on children's lives.

There are several routes of progression after completing an apprenticeship.

1. Advance to a higher level of apprenticeship-

If you enjoyed your level 2 childcare, you could progress to a level 3 childcare and pursue a supervisory position with your own key children, for example.

2. Stay with the company-

The vast majority of apprentices remain in employment once completing their course. Over two-thirds of these remain with the same company. After all, 1 in 5 employers say members of their higher management team are former apprentices.

3. Work for another company-

An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification, and is highly valued by employers. Upon completing your apprenticeship, if you find there isn’t a position for you at your current company, or you want to pursue different opportunities- go for it! With a minimum of a year of practical experience, plus a qualification, you’ll have an advantage over school leavers or graduates when applying for positions.

4. University-

Having chosen to take the apprenticeship route, don’t think you’ve shut the door on higher education. A level 3 apprenticeship is considered equivalent to 2 A levels, and although not strictly awarded UCAS points, most universities will happily accept experience gained through an apprenticeship. Higher apprenticeships (level 4) can sometimes lead to a recognised foundation degree, and some even offer the opportunity to progress to level 7, which is equivalent to postgraduate degree level. Several universities have started to offer a new programme of Degree Apprenticeships; 3-6 years of a working with part time day release at university, in which you will qualify with a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Starting an apprenticeship is a commitment, and you should not embark on one without giving it serious consideration. Of course, things can go wrong- maybe you’ve realised the industry isn’t the right fit for you, or you’ve decided you want to pursue a more academic route.  Neither of these is a reason to quit an apprenticeship- stick with it if you can. Within 12 months, you’ll have gained a nationally recognised qualification equivalent to 2 A levels (for level 3), and have a wealth of practical experience which includes many transferable skills if you choose to pursue something else later. Work readiness skills are not to be overlooked and many employers value this as highly as, or even higher than, academic skills.

Apprenticeships can also be changed. Let’s say you were doing a Level 2 Business Administration, based equally within two departments. If you do a few weeks and decide that one avenue is more focused to your interests or skills, talk to your line manager- you may find they are happy to alter your course for you. After all, employers want their employees to be happy too!

As of April 2025, the minimum wage for an apprentice is £7.55 per hour. This applies to any apprentice under 19 years of age, or anyone 19 and above who is in their first year of an apprenticeship. Anyone over 19 who has finished their first year is entitled to national minimum wage:

So, for example, a 24 year old apprentice doing the first year of their course is entitled to £7.55 p/h.

A 21 year old doing the second year of their course is entitled to £12.21 p/h

Of course, this is only the national minimum rates and lots of employers choose to pay their apprentices more than this.