What's it all about?
Public services are often things we take for granted, but couldn't cope without - education, fire services, waste management, social services, healthcare, police and all those other things. People who work in public services go home at the end of the week with more than just a paycheque. They know their work helps other people and makes our society a better place. It takes more than doctors to keep our health service running. Apprenticeships could lead into a range of careers in health - dispensing medicines in a pharmacy, giving eye tests, working as a dental nurse and many more.
Looking after people in hospital isn't the only type of care. Many disabled people and older people, for example, need support in their own home or in the community - this is known as social care.
The care system is set to change a lot over the coming years as the UK population ages. But the very young need looking after too - as more parents go out to work, there's a growing demand for trained childcare providers.
Health and social care are just two examples of the many public services that keep society together. Apprenticeships in this sector could also lead you into very different careers including youth work, classroom support, working as a firefighter, and housing the homeless.
In such a large sector, working environments and the skills you need will vary. Technical and scientific knowledge is important in some areas - if you work as a pharmacist, for example. In youth work or social care, by contrast, your people skills are all-important.
In Great Britain, about one in five workers are currently employed in the public sector. There are job opportunities across the country, and the number of public sector workers tends to be in proportion to the number of people living in the area. Generally speaking, public sector workers have more job security than people employed by private firms.
- Children's care, learning and development (Contact www.skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk)
- Cleaning and support services (Contact www.assetskills.org)
- Community development (Contact www.lluk.org.uk)
- Community justice (Contact www.skillsforjustice.com)
- Dental nursing (Contact www.skillsforhealth.org.uk)
- Fire services (Contact www.skillsforjustice.com)
- Health and social care (Contact www.skillsforhealth.org.uk)
- Housing (Contact www.assetskills.org)
- Laboratory technicians (Contact www.semta.org.uk)
- Optical (Contact www.skillsforhealth.org.uk)
- Pharmacy technicians and assistants (Contact www.skillsforhealth.org.uk)
- Playwork (Contact www.skillsactive.com/apprenticeships)
- Providing security services (Contact www.skillsforsecurity.org.uk)
- Security systems (Contact www.skillsforsecurity.org.uk)
- Supporting teaching and learning in schools (Contact www.tda.gov.uk)
- Youth work (Contact www.skillsactive.com/apprenticeships)