Case studies

Arable Apprentice Leon Ayres started working on a small farm near his home after leaving school

Matthew Harling, 18, is working towards a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Land-based engineering operations

Rebecca Gillatt, 18, took on a Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship in Horticulture

Emma Stanworth is working towards a Level 2 Animal Care Apprenticeship

23-year-old Michelle O’Connor has traded working with race horses to follow her dream career in hairdressing & barbering, a passion she has nurtured since leaving school

Top hairdressing apprentice Calum Hall has proven he is a cut above his fellow students by winning gold at a national hairdressing competition at Blackpool for the second year running

18-year-old Tayla Murdy, is currently training as an Apprentice Hairdresser at The Venue Salon in Ashington, Northumberland

Nicole Davies is a Level 2 Beauty Therapy apprentice at Wigan & Leigh College

Anthony Quinn, 19, from Capgemini, has successfully completed a Level 3 IT Professional Apprenticeship with Baltic Training Services

David Cowling is taking an Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management with Birmingham City Business School

Steven Jones took a Business Administration Apprenticeship at Birmingham Metropolitan College

Jennifer Smith, from Longridge in Preston, works as a Service Desk manager at MITIE PFI Ltd and has completed a Level 3 NVQ in Business and Administration with Blackburn College

Sophie Burdass lost her voice but found an Apprenticeship when she visited hospital – starting her on the path to her dream job in nursing

Jack Eker, 20, is working towards a Capgemini Higher Apprenticeship and recently won a regional 2013 Apprentice of the Year title at the National Apprenticeship Awards

Connor Clark, 18, is a Level 3 Business Administration apprentice

Zubar Sarwar works as an IT Apprentice for OPM through IT Apprenticeship provider Just IT

Carl Gibson, 19 is a Business Administration Apprentice with Fenham Hall Medical Practice, Newcastle

Abigail Taylor, 18, has always enjoyed dealing with money and has always been very organised – an Apprenticeship in Business Administration while working as a trainee financial administrator was her dream job

Kirsty Mead is working towards an Intermediate Apprenticeship in Business Administration

Sam Hopwell, 20, is an apprentice IT Technician

Louis Gornall, 18, from Tong, is working for Bradford District Care Trust in the HR department

Jay Hancock, 20, started her Apprenticeship qualification in Advanced Business and Administration in November 2011, and is due to complete in November 2013

A 26-year-old former apprentice from Blackpool has launched her own cake shop after completing an Apprenticeship in Business Administration with Training 2000

Andrew Pidgeon, aged 18, is a Marketing apprentice with Truro and Penwith College

Aranjeet Nirwan, 22, joined Virgin Media as an intermediate apprentice training as an installation and service technician

Olivia Harbor, 19, took an Advanced Business Administration Apprenticeship with Vision Apprentices

Kayleigh Jones is currently undertaking an Intermediate Apprenticeship in Business Administration and is employed at a local driving school, Around the Bend

David Fry is working towards a Level 3 NVQ in Brickwork at Bexley College

Michael Wood, 19, is undertaking an Intermediate Construction Building – Trowel Occupations Apprenticeship at Burton and South Derbyshire College

Josh Derry has completed an Advanced Apprenticeship in Electrical Installation

Mark Rimmer, 27, Quantity Surveyor joined Lovell in 2002 as an apprentice joiner, following in the footsteps of his father, uncle and brother who all work in the construction industry

Bricklaying may be very different to graphic design but Shaun Hatcher is getting stuck in and is increasing in confidence; the 23-year-old is currently training as a Trowel Occupations apprentice

Hayley Waterhouse, 18, is a construction apprentice with Vision Apprentices

Oliver Paton, aged 18, is a Marketing Apprentice (Level 2) at City of Bristol College

Charlie Barrington-Osbourn, 23, took a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Design with Creative Alliance

Dave Grant, age 24 from Birmingham, attended a Jewellery Manufacturing Apprenticeship at Holts Academy

Francesca Foster, 20, took a Diploma in Creative and Digital Media with Vision Apprentices

Jessica Young, 22 is a Level 2 Retail apprentice

Jemma Oliver is celebrating after being named Apprentice of the Year at the 2013 STF Awards

Paige Balman, 20, is taking a Level 2 Jewellery Retail Apprentice with The Beverly Hills Group

19-year-old Helen Beal is realising her dreams of becoming a tattoo artist after starting her Apprenticeship at Absolute Art Tattoo

Mary Thomson is 20 years old and is taking a Retail Apprenticeship with Primark

Hailey Marks-Burton is working towards an Intermediate Apprenticeship in Customer Service

Danielle Blaydon is a Retail apprentice with Superdrug

James Murphy is working on an Engineer Training Programme with National Grid

Francesca Higgs completed a two and a half year Apprenticeship with UK Power Networks

Edward Haylock is a multi-skilled engineer at British Sugar’s Wissington factory

Three young people are the latest in a long line of apprentices at Atlas Composites, the Ilkeston-based manufacturer of composite components

Mihir Patel enrolled on an Advanced Apprenticeship at Leicester College as he wanted to pursue a career in Engineering

Michael Jones is working on an Engineer Training Programme with National Grid

Shane Willard took a Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship with GlaxoSmithKline

Regina Tumblepot, 27, is a Civil Engineering apprentice with BBMV and South Thames College

Anna Kulling, 18, is an Advanced Level Engineering apprentice

Francesca Higgs completed a two and a half year Apprenticeship with UK Power Networks

Perry Minett, 19, is an Advanced Level Engineering Manufacture Craft and Technician apprentice

Lloyd Kemp, 21, took a diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment at West Nottinghamshire College

Roddy Bannerman Aning decided that he wanted the ACCA qualification which is recognised worldwide, so he always had the security of future employment

A Grade A maths student chose the Higher Apprenticeship route to pursue her career as a Chartered Tax Advisor

Matthew Weeks joined Bluefin Insurance’s Apprenticeship programme

Sophie Rayner began training as an Accountancy apprentice at the Shepherd Partnership in Skipton after finishing her GCSEs

Thomas, 23, is an Audit Principal at the National Audit Office, London

Isaac Jones, 21, is taking an Apprenticeship in Providing Financial Services with learndirect

Lucy Johnson is now a fully qualified Auditor thanks to her Apprenticeship with PwC

Martin Brennan broke new ground when he signed up for an Apprenticeship; he was the first apprentice to be taken on by his employer, Nixon Williams Ltd in Blackpool

Night care assistant Lenka Burikova is working on an Advanced Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care with Connect 2 Care

Beckie Watson, 19, is a Dental apprentice with learndirect

Charlotte Leech, 18, is a shining example of how an apprenticeship route has been a worthwhile stepping stone to her future career

Shannen Coldwell, 17, started her Apprenticeship at Allerton Children’s Centre and was given the chance to complete an Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Learning and Development

After completing an Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care, Hannah, 24, became a community care worker with Hertfordshire County Council

Sarah Jones is a Health & Social Care apprentice

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg swapped jobs with Genna Hibberson, 18, a Sheffield College apprentice pharmacy technician at Woodhouse Pharmacy Direct

Adam Wright is currently undertaking an Intermediate Apprenticeship in Healthcare Support Services and working for the Yorkshire Ambulance NHS Trust (YAS)

Donna Holt, 17, is taking a BII Intermediate Apprenticeship in Licensed Hospitality

Lynsey Bell has been a Hospitality and Catering apprentice with Brooksby Melton College at the Belmont Hotel for over a year

Rising chef Ronald Dzepasi changed course midway through university and became an apprentice to carve out a career in the hospitality industry

An Apprenticeship was ideal for catering assistant Tom Langman, 18, who finds it difficult to study in a classroom but thrives on learning at work

21-year-old Emma McKinlay is a Hospitality apprentice with learndirect

Karolina Morkunaite, 25, from Hampton joined Peterborough Regional College on a Level 2 Apprenticeship programme in hospitality, supervision and leadership

Kyle Lewis began training to be a chef through an Apprenticeship at the Roman Baths Kitchen (Searcys) in Bath

Adam Wordsworth, 18, has begun an Apprenticeship at the electrical wholesalers Smith Brothers of Doncaster

Steven Glover recently completed his Intermediate Apprenticeship in Warehousing and Storage at Resin Building Products

Training for a career as a Royal Navy officer, you will gain military and maritime skills as well as spending time at sea learning how warships operate

A Royal Navy rating’s career begins with 10 weeks of basic training at HMS Raleigh

The Royal Marines train thousands every year at their first-class facilities in Devon

Chris Averis was awarded funding from Trinity House to do a Superyacht Cadetship at UKSA’s maritime training academy on the Isle of Wight

Liam Bourke is pursuing a career as a swimming coach with an Institute of Swimming Apprenticeship

Alex Orton, 25, joined The Leisure Trust and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council as a Relief Leisure attendant in 2011 and took an Advanced Apprenticeship as a Personal Trainer

Twenty-year-old Alex Brown’s life-long passion for Porsches helped him secure his dream role when he became an apprentice Vehicle Technician at a specialist Porsche garage

Ricky Hookem, 20, is a Level 3 apprentice in Light Vehicle Service and Repair

Naomi Jennens-Bull joined Jaguar Land Rover as an Advanced Apprentice having just completed her GCSEs

Garret Grant is currently working on an Apprenticeship in HGV Maintenance and Repair at Mercedes in Fareham

Fidell Moran, 17, is a Light Vehicle technician apprentice

Adam Whitehouse is 22 years old and an MET apprentice at Solus Accident Repair Centre in Birmingham

Leanne Cooke, 27, took an Apprenticeship in Railway Engineering with Vision Apprentices

Tom Thompson, 19, is working towards a Level 2 apprenticeship in Horticulture with Edge Apprenticeships

Simeon Warren, aged 21, is pursuing a career in mechanics at Reaseheath College

Emma Merrett, 21, took on a Level 2 Mixed Farming apprenticeship at Hartpury College

Jodie Ackroyd is working towards an Intermediate Level Horticulture apprenticeship through Moulton College

Katie Croft, aged 19, is working towards a Horticulture apprenticeship at Manchester City Football Club

Ashleigh Merrils has successfully completed a Level 3 Beauty Therapy apprenticeship with Accrington and Rossendale College

Molly Webb, aged 21, completed an Advanced Level apprenticeship in Hairdressing and now runs her own salon

Davide left school at 16 to start a two-year hairdressing apprenticeship with City of Bristol College. The 20-year-old barber has recently opened his own salon

Natasha Rodrigues is flying high as a talented hair stylist at Saks Northallerton and it all started with a Saks apprenticeship

Zoe Rainger is working toward an Intermediate Level Hairdressing apprenticeship at a local salon in Bexhill

Julian Whyte, 22, has successfully completed a Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship with Sandler Training

Social media apprentice and chorister Sam found his ideal role at the Cathedral Quarter Hotel in Derby

Bethan is blown away by her new Business Administration apprenticeship with Fair Train

19-year-old Tessa Whitby is working towards Level 2 and 3 qualifications through a Business and Administration apprenticeship with Fujitsu

Julie Jones, aged 56, completed her Intermediate Level apprenticeship in Business Administration with UK Mail

Taryn Ng is working towards an apprenticeship in Business Admininstration with ScopeNEXT

After impressing his employer at Level 3, 19-year-old Jazz is about to start a Level 4 apprenticeship in IT Support and Networking with Just IT

Thanks to an apprenticeship with Leeds City College, Abbey Mason was able to channel her creative talent into an exciting career

A Business Administration apprenticeship with Peterborough Regional College has helped Curtis Wheeler gain a wide range of office and administration skills

Johnathan Kynaston, aged 17, started his career in finance within a year of completing his apprenticeship with Positive Outcomes

Award-winning apprentice Courtenay has completed her Advanced Level Business and Administration apprenticeship at Shipley College

Chantelle Booth has started a dream apprenticeship as office administrator for Coronation Street’s Kim Marsh

Jamie Docherty, aged 19, is working towards a Business Administration apprenticeship at CJS UK Management

Aarron Yates, 22, is a key member of the highly successful hospitality team at the Eden Project in Cornwall

Lauren Pedge is undertaking an apprenticeship in Business Administration and is employed by a local charity that supports blind people

Jordan Ambler has completed an Advanced Level plastering apprenticeship with Leeds College of Building

Waleed Azam is an experienced multi-skilled apprentice with a varied and challenging career in site management

Leah Knox, aged 17, is a Retail apprentice at Aldi’s store in Livingston

Cameron Crawford has been named STAR Apprentice of the Year by Birmingham Metropolitan College

Hannah Thornton, aged 19, has taken her first steps towards becoming an optical lab technician with a Customer Service apprenticeship through Positive Outcomes

Rosie Pickering, aged 23, has completed an Advanced Level Customer Service apprenticeship through South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Bradley Coray is working towards his Intermediate Plumbing apprenticeship at T Brown Group

20-year-old Georgina Taylor, winner of an outstanding achievement award, has completed her Advanced Level engineering apprenticeship with SMS Electronics

Luke Rudd is working towards his Advanced Level Nuclear apprenticeship at Sussex Coast College

Connor is currently working towards a Level 2 NVQ Diploma through an apprenticeship in Plumbing and Heating with Sussex Coast College Hastings

Joe Blandy, from Thurrock in Essex, talks about his electrical fitter apprenticeship with UK Power Networks

Adam Marks is working towards his apprenticeship in Providing Financial Services with Willis’ Financial & Executive Risks

Curtis is working towards a Level 2 accountancy apprenticeship at Cornwall College

2014 Intermediate Apprentice of the Year Evie Molloy has completed a trainee accountant apprenticeship with Hemingway Bailey Ltd

After working towards the ACA qualification whilst working at Ensors, Gail has begun her career as an ICAEW chartered accountant

19 year-old Annabel McGinn is a Business Administration apprentice with Cambridge Regional College, working for the East Anglian Air Ambulance

Ellie is progressing with an Intermediate Level apprenticeship in Health and Social Care with Gold Hill Care

Natalie Collins, aged 26, has taken an apprenticeship in Childcare with South & City College Birmingham

April Scott is currently undertaking an apprenticeship in Health Care Support with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Lucas Oliveira, 20, is studying for an NVQ Diploma in Hospitality Services at Croydon College

‘Planet champion’ Raju has completed his apprenticeship programme with McDonald’s

Mark O’Reilly started his career at McDonald’s in June 2011, with no formal qualifications

Adam Wordsworth chose an Intermediate Level Warehousing and Storage apprenticeship at his local electrical wholesalers

Luke Burton and James Paton both won Institute of the Motor Industry Apprentice awards

David Kelly is working towards a Car Service Technician apprenticeship with a local Honda dealership

Michael Voller completed a Horticulture apprenticeship at Capel Manor College and has secured a full-time role at Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground

George Beddis, of Lydney, chose to study a Level 2 Mixed Farming apprenticeship at Hartpury College

Vaultex, one of the UK’s leading cash handling companies, prides itself on investing in its people by providing quality developmental opportunities for staff

Roisin has undertaken a Degree Apprenticeship in Management and Leadership with Uni@Work at Coventry University

Quality specialist Andrew is studying towards a Degree in Management and Leadership with Uni@Work

17-year-old Tom Lickness from Newcastle is delivering the goods with a logistics specialist thanks to leading training provider Intraining

For Carol Laycock, 19, an apprenticeship with Direct Line Group was the opportunity of a lifetime

Lance Corporal Mica Taylor is a communication systems engineer with the Royal Corps of Signals

Tom Richings, 20, from Hinckley, completed a Commercial apprenticeship with Triumph and South Leicestershire College

Brett Vaton, 22, is a Level 3 Technical Solutions Specialist apprentice with IBM

Ryan Hill, 17, is taking an apprenticeship in Business Administration at Hastings Borough Council with Sussex Coast College

Samantha McIver, 19, is currently studying for her second apprenticeship

Samantha, 17, is working towards completing an apprenticeship in business administration with Positive Outcomes

Government pilot project offers bespoke apprentices for fast-changing industries

Uwais Paderwala is a Quantity Surveying apprentice with Gardiner and Theobald

Louise Verney is a Quantity Surveying apprentice with Balfour Beatty

Waleed Azam is an experienced multi-skilled apprentice with a varied and challenging career in site management

Andy Grover, 20, is a logistics apprentice with Aldi and is on track to join the warehouse management team while still in his early twenties

Lindsey Williams, 18, is a retail apprentice with Aldi

Hannah Veevers, 22, started her retail career as a service colleague at Asda’s Cambridge store.

Donnell Muzembe, 18, has just finished the first month of his apprenticeship within a Leeds estate agent

HR apprentice Sam Robertson, 18, enjoys the friendly environment and fantastic facilities at Direct Line Group

Inspired by the London skyline, Thomas Stevens chose to become a surveyor and is working towards a Property Surveying apprenticeship with CBRE. Once qualified, he will receive a qualification accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Laura Pell is a Property Surveying apprentice with Cushman & Wakefield. Once qualified, she will receive a qualification accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Sammy-Jo Evans is 19 years old and training to be an electrical fitter at Stansted Airport with a UK Power Networks apprenticeship

Jake Levent, 20, is an apprentice cable jointer with UK Power Networks in South London

Jack Routledge, 21, is an overhead linesman working with UK Power Networks in Colchester

One of the first employers to benefit from EAL’s new Flexible Solutions programme is international electricity and gas company National Grid

ARC Academy, which specialises in delivering training to the rail industry, is now using EAL’s qualifications for their apprenticeship training programmes

A dynamic partnership to deliver the very best apprentices and graduates to the UK aerospace sector has been formed between Airbus and EAL, the awarding organisation for industry

19-year-old Ellie Morgan is an aircraft mechanic on the RAF’s Red Arrows team, based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire

Mitchell Shore, an electrician from Derby, was JTL’s National Apprentice of the Year.

JTL apprentice Samantha Jones has travelled the world from the United States to Nepal since completing her electrical apprenticeship

Curtis Clarke from Scunthorpe was crowned JTL MES Apprentice of the Year 2015/16

James Martin, 21, completed a Level 3 Electrical Installations apprenticeship at Sussex Coast College Hastings

Lance Corporal Josh Mills is an electrician with the Royal Corps of Signals and training with an apprenticeship through the Army.

Tom Ward, 19, is working towards a Level 2 apprenticeship in plumbing and heating at Croydon College

After completing a Level 3 apprenticeship in engineering, Shayne was selected to represent the UK at the WorldSkills competition in Brazil

Rebecca Wood is working towards becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant on a Higher Apprenticeship with Edward Egglestone & Co.

Ffion Evans is currently working as a trainee and hopes to become a fully qualified ICAEW Chartered Accountant by 21 years old

Simone Masterson completed a Higher Apprenticeship with ICAEW and is now working towards her ACA qualification

21-year-old Kate Cooke was awarded Cornwall’s first Apprentice of the Year for her exceptional achievements.

Laura completed an AAT accounting qualification through an apprenticeship at Cornwall College and now runs her own accounting practice

Caleb Lewis, 19, loves the variety that comes with life as an HR apprentice at Direct Line Group.

Shanice Day, 19, studied for a Level 3 Accounting apprenticeship with NWHC while working at Aut-Tech Automation, a German design firm whose UK hub is located in Coventry

Past experience helped Daisy become an apprentice care assistant at Countywide Caring

Jade has been able to raise her family while completing her apprenticeship at Sorelle Support, specialising in autism, with Skills for Care.

Stephanie Taylor is a support worker taking an apprenticeship in health and social care with Skills for Care. She is particularly interested in working with people who have mental health issues.

Ashley Morton completed a level 2 Children & Young People’s Workforce apprenticeship and now juggles the demands of motherhood alongside completing her level 3 qualification

An 18-year-old from Wigan made such a good impact on her employer that they created a new apprenticeship for her

Jordan Miller is training to become a chef with an apprenticeship at Marriott hotels

Amy Jeffreys is a 19-year-old apprentice, currently studying a Level 2 qualification in hospitality at Grasmere Court guesthouse in Keynsham, Somerset.

Kirsty Ascroft joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 2009 and is currently serving as a member of the 32 (The Royal) Squadron VIP cabin crew at RAF Northolt, Middlesex.

Thomas Jones is an IT apprentice at ABP Ellesmere, ABP UK’s flagship meat processing facility

Ashley Edge is an engineering apprentice at ABP Ellesmere

Adam Buckler is a butchery apprentice at ABP Shrewsbury

22-year-old Sam Cole is a senior aircraftman in the Royal Air Force

Hannah won the Volkswagen Group Apprentice of the Year award in the first year of her apprenticeship

Following her previous experience, Lauren Ellis-Hall has begun an Advanced Apprenticeship with Sporting Futures Training

Private Jean Sseninde is a driver with the Royal Logistic Corps in the British Army

Working in a Fiat dealership has given Joseph the opportunity to learn a trade and prepare for his working life ahead

Joe Wood, 22, is an apprentice Motor Vehicle Mechanic with Ascott Cab Company studying at London South East Colleges

Working for a prestigious retailer is the perfect starting point to drive your career forward

Jonathan Edwards, 18, is studying for a Level 3 apprenticeship with Asda’s ISD (Information Systems Division) apprentice programme

Charles Pennington, 21, is an apprentice at Park Communications, an award-winning printing firm based in East London.

Chloe Walker, 17, and Elodie, 18, are both apprentices at West Ham Olympic Stadium in Stratford and study at Newham College

Tahmeena Khanom, 18, completed her Level 2 Business & Administration apprenticeship in December while working for Westbrook Law in London.