Army Apprenticeships
Having a career devoted to serving your country is incredibly rewarding. Employees are known for their courage, commitment and discipline - three qualities that set them up for a long and successful career, whether they choose to stay in the armed forces or apply their skills elsewhere.
You'll also have plenty of opportunities to travel and build a diverse skill set - all whilst bonding with a tight-knit group of colleagues that will become friends for life.
So you're bound to find something that floats your battleship! Whether you want to join the Army, Royal Air Force (RAF) or Royal Navy, you can do so with an apprenticeship. The Ministry of Defence is the largest provider of apprenticeships in the UK, offering over 20,000 different schemes. Here's a breakdown:
LEVELS: 2 to 4 | AVG SALARY: £26,000 | WHEN TO APPLY: Sept to Dec
Can you get an apprenticeship with the Army?
Yes, you can get an apprenticeship with the British Army; in fact, it's one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship providers.
The Army offers a wide range of apprenticeships that combine military training with nationally recognised qualifications. These apprenticeships are open to new recruits and are built into your initial career training, meaning you’ll start learning a trade from the moment you join.
Apprenticeships are available in areas like engineering, logistics, IT, healthcare, construction, and more. While gaining real-world experience as a soldier, you’ll also be working towards qualifications such as NVQs, diplomas, or even foundation degrees, all while earning a salary and receiving full Army benefits.
It’s a great option if you’re looking for a structured, practical route into both a trade and a military career.
What Army apprenticeships are available, and what do they do?
You'd be surprised. Apprenticeships in the Army are diverse, and you'll pick up a vast number of skills.
Joining the Army doesn't necessarily mean you have to fight on the front line either - there are so many paths you can take within this sector, including doing an apprenticeship in:
Public Services and Health
Engineering
Telecommunications
Animal Care
IT
Logistics
Construction
Business Admin
The Army offers apprenticeships in Levels 2, 3 and 4 and the opportunity to do a degree apprenticeship later in your career. So you can start as soon as you leave school at age 16 if you wish.
Here are some examples of apprenticeships offered by the Army:
Army Dog Handler (Level 2 & 3)
You'll work with Military Working Dogs (MWD) and take them wherever the Army is deployed. Starting with protection dogs, you'll then work with specialist dogs that can sniff out explosives and arms.
Combat Medical Technician (Level 3)
You'll be on the front line working hard to save soldiers' lives. You'll aim to get soldiers off the battleground quickly and safely to give them medical treatment.
Cyber Engineer (Level 4)
Ultimately, you'll learn how to engineer, maintain and repair various communications equipment used on the battlefield and operations. You'll work towards specialising in one of three areas...
Information Services Engineer
Networks Engineer
Infrastructure Engineer
To keep up to date with Army apprenticeships, check out their website here.
Generally speaking, depending on your apprenticeship type, you might:
Learn to repair and maintain military vehicles, aircraft, or communications equipment
Train in logistics and supply chain operations to support troops on the ground
Gain skills in construction, such as bricklaying, plumbing, or electrical work
Work as a combat medical technician, providing first aid and medical support
Train in cyber security or IT systems, protecting Army networks and data
Study for qualifications such as Level 2 or 3 NVQs, diplomas, or even foundation degrees
All of this takes place while earning a salary, receiving full Army training, and developing leadership, teamwork, and discipline.
I work within the training cell of an EOD & Search unit who specialise in deployments overseas. My role involves maintaining training and validation records to ensure readiness commitments are met. Degree Apprentice, The Army
What qualifications do you need to do an apprenticeship with the army?
Fortunately, the Army doesn’t typically require qualifications when applying for its apprenticeship schemes. The Army instead will help you achieve qualifications like Level 2 Functional Skills in English and Maths upon completion of your programme.
For their degree apprenticeships, you must have already completed your training at Sandhurst.
It's important to know that for most roles, you'll receive military training that'll teach you how to be a soldier before you move into your specific field.
During your basic training, you’ll learn how to move around campus (marching), survival skills, first aid and how to use a rifle. You’ll also spend your time working on your health and fitness levels.
Training lasts for 14 weeks. Want to know more? Check out this video:
How much do Army apprentices get paid?
As an apprentice with the Army, you are going to get paid around £26,000 annually, but can work up to £41,500 after you have completed your training.
There are also many other benefits that you get on top of this pay, such as:
30 days of annual leave + bank holidays
Free medical and dental care
Free gym access
Cheaper food and lodgings
Help you build your pension.
How to apply for an Army apprenticeship
You can apply for Army apprenticeships through Higherin!
All you have to do is sign up to add the company to your saved items. You’ll get tons of updates on vacancies and all their upcoming deadlines.
After submitting your application, you’re probably wondering what’s next.
Well, if you’re successful, you’ll be invited for an interview and will need to take a bunch of aptitude, medical and fitness tests to prove your suitability for the role. So make sure you get those workouts in. They’ll come SUPER handy.
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