r/ApprenticeshipsUK

**Title: **
Hi everyone,
I’m 22 and looking to get into engineering, but I’m starting from scratch and would really appreciate some honest advice from people working in the industry or who have experience with any of these routes.
My background is in healthcare. I studied Adult Nursing at the University of Nottingham for two years, but I’m now looking to change direction and pursue engineering instead.
My qualifications are:
Level 3 BTEC in Health and Social Care
GCSE Maths and English
Two years of university experience studying Adult Nursing
I have no engineering work experience, no A-level Maths or Physics, and no previous engineering qualifications. I’m also not particularly academic and can struggle with traditional exams, so I’m trying to work out which route would give me the best chance of succeeding and getting a decent engineering job.
At the moment, I’m considering three options:
1. Engineering apprenticeship
I’m interested in starting with a Level 3 engineering apprenticeship, potentially in mechanical, electrical, civil, maintenance or manufacturing engineering. I’d like to gain practical experience, earn money while training and work my way up. However, I’m unsure how realistic it is to get an apprenticeship at 22 without relevant experience, and whether I should complete a college course first.
2. BSc Civil Engineering at Nottingham Trent University (NTU)
This is a traditional university degree in a specific engineering discipline. My understanding is that the course is accredited and offers a more established route into civil engineering. The advantages seem to be a recognised qualification, a clear career path and opportunities in construction, infrastructure and consultancy.
My concerns are the maths, physics and exams, as well as the cost of university and whether a degree is worth it compared with earning money and gaining experience through an apprenticeship.
3. BEng Integrated Engineering at NMITE
This degree appeals to me because it focuses on practical, project-based learning and working on real engineering problems. My understanding is that it is IET-accredited and doesn’t rely on traditional exams in the same way as a conventional degree. It also seems suitable for people without A-level Maths or Physics.
The advantages appear to be its practical approach, industry involvement and flexibility to explore different engineering sectors. My concerns are whether employers recognise the degree as readily as a traditional engineering degree, whether it offers equally strong job prospects, and whether its broad nature could make it harder to specialise or compete for certain graduate roles.
I’d really appreciate advice on the following:
Given my background and qualifications, which route would you personally recommend: an apprenticeship, NTU Civil Engineering or NMITE Integrated Engineering?
Is it realistic to get a Level 3 engineering apprenticeship at 22 without any relevant experience, or would I be better off going to university?
How do the employment prospects, starting salaries and long-term career progression compare between these three routes?
Do employers value NMITE’s Integrated Engineering degree as much as a traditional degree from a more established university?
Would I be limiting my options by choosing Civil Engineering at NTU, or is having a clearly defined engineering discipline an advantage when applying for jobs?
Is NMITE’s practical, project-based teaching genuinely beneficial for someone who struggles with exams, or would the maths and technical content still be just as challenging?
How important is professional accreditation when applying for engineering jobs and progressing towards Incorporated or Chartered Engineer status?
Would an apprenticeship give me a better financial and career outcome in the long term because I’d be earning and gaining experience rather than paying for a degree?
With my lack of Maths and Physics experience, what would be the best way to prepare before starting either an apprenticeship or a degree?
My main priority is employability, job security, decent earning potential and long-term progression, rather than choosing a course simply because it sounds interesting.
I’m happy to work hard and learn from the beginning. I just want to make an informed decision and avoid spending several years on a route that doesn’t give me good employment opportunities.
I’d particularly appreciate advice from people who recruit graduate engineers, have studied at NTU or NMITE, or have completed an engineering apprenticeship.
Thanks in advance!

So I'm 30 have spent most my life in hospitality working in kitchens

Would love to re train to carpentry and have done carpentry work in my spare time.

Does anyone have any advice on the best way to get an apprenticeship local colleges have told me to find an employer

I highly doubt I can just walk in to any forms and ask for an apprenticeship but I don't have the experience to ask them for work to build a report before asking for training

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

We all know how bad the job market is right now and this is where i'm pretty much at. I'm currently working a job i absolutely hate that's has nothing to do with what i studied. I've already applied for two apprenticeships that are in the same field as my degree (IT) and not heard back from them. There's another one that has come up that has been advertised as £16,000 a year, but as i'm over the age of 21, they would have to pay me minimum wage. I'm guessing this is their budget for the role and they are looking for someone aged 18 so they don't have to pay more?. I'm just wondering if there's even any point in applying for apprenticeships or am i wasting my time?. Should i not mention my degree and just put my GCSE's and A-Levels?.

I know there are many other people in the same boat right now but i feel like i'm loosing the will to live. I knew it wouldn't be easy after i graduated but I've had no luck since applying 18 months ago and i honestly didn't think it would be this bad.

What do you think?

So, it’s not as bad as it sounds. I think. I’m doing a lvl 3 business admin apprenticeship and our work-based project is a significant portion of our assessment.

When the time for my project came up, I was quite ill so my manager suggested I wfh for the project. The project was to create a booklet of instructional guides for the new system in time for the next staff meeting. Super, I can do that. I submitted the project on the Friday evening before the staff meeting (Thursday) to give us time to review the packs and make any adjustments.

Little did I know, on the Friday morning whilst I was away, my boss’s boss started writing up the same pamphlets, which he then revealed on the Wednesday evening, right before the staff meeting. And then his pamphlets were used for the staff meeting. I was told that this was because they weren’t sure that mine would be ready EoD on Friday, but it just feels weird that he decided to do the same thing? Like what was the point in us both doing it?

As part of the ‘review’ section of the project, I’m now ‘merging’ our leaflets. Which is really just me adding a few sentences and bullet points to his document, as there were a couple little bits he missed out, but overall his work was much more succinct than mine (one of the issues with my work was that it was too word-y) so I’m cutting down most of what I’ve done (1,500 word document with screenshots and diagrams) into just a few bullet points to add onto his work.

I’m not really sure what to do about this now, my manager says it’ll be fine for the project report, but I have to send out a survey to assess the project as well and I feel weird doing it? Like it’s not my project anymore, I’d be taking credit for someone else’s work? Do I say it was a communication error (It wasn’t, but I have no idea how else to spin this)?

Ive stated in my cv that i would relocate for an apprenticeship but I keep getting rejected saying that i live too far away. Is there any point in me putting a random address.

I had applied for early years apprenticeship and got offered place from them but i lived outside of UK from mu birth till i was 16 to 17 and only arrived here in like 26 Oct 2023. Now im worried tht i might need overseas police check im not sure though cuz i was underage during my stay there and i also hold British passport as my dad’s British will I be able to get this apprenticeship or will i get declined after they check everything idk im just too confused

This is a short post but realistically do you need insane specs to get into a Dyson apprenticeship. Like I know that there is a lot of competition but I wanna know like my chances before investing too much time and effort and the end up only accepting ppl with Gold UKMT and some insane projects with 5 A stars. Im a good student with A* math prediction and A physics with some decent projects but nothing exceptional yk. But the course looks so good so I rlly wanna try.