Apprentice FAQs

Where are your apprenticeships based?

We are a network of over 50 employers with apprentices as far north as Stirlingshire (in Scotland) to as far south as Portsmouth; as far west as Bristol and as far east as Essex. Get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to alert you when apprenticeship positions become available in your area of interest.

Who will I work for?

We have vacancies becoming available throughout the year at any of our 50+ employers. For a full list of ATAC employers and their locations, please visit here.

How much will an ATAC apprenticeship cost me?

You will never be asked to contribute towards the cost of your apprenticeship. Your learning is funded by your employer and occasionally by the government.

How much will I earn while on an ATAC apprenticeship?

As an apprentice, you can expect a starting salary of between £16,000 and £21,000 depending on your employer, the apprenticeship you are undertaking and the area in which you work. Once you have completed your apprenticeship and have become a fully qualified member of the industry, alongside several years of work experience, you will be able to command a much higher salary.

How long does an apprenticeship with ATAC take to complete?

Depending on the programme, our shortest takes 15 months and our longest up to five years. If you already have experience in the area you are studying, you may be eligible for prior learning credits meaning you can skip certain parts of the programme making your apprenticeship shorter in duration. Your prior learning would be explored with you on enrolment onto the apprenticeship.

What are the entry requirements to join an ATAC apprenticeship?

Each of our programmes have different specific entry requirements. Normally, in England, we would ask that you already have a Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) qualification in English and maths at grade 4 or equivalent or higher. In Scotland, you would need to have two Highers including maths and a science subject (ideally biology or chemistry) and four Standard Grades at Level 3 or National 5 awards or above including English. If you don’t hold these, we can explore options to support you in obtaining these.

For our degree-level apprenticeships (in England) we do also have the requirement that you possess some A-Levels in science or mathematics. There is room for flexibility though, so if you are interested in joining an ATAC apprenticeship but want to talk about your A-Levels, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

What are my career opportunities after an ATAC apprenticeship?

Once you have completed your apprenticeship, you will have the option to continue in your organisation automatically as a fully qualified employee, or to apply for a full-time role. If you complete your apprenticeship and your employer does not have a position for you to move into, you are still part of the ATAC network, and we can support you in seeking a position with one of the other 50+ employees that are also part of our community.

Employer FAQs

How does my organisation become part of ATAC?

Fund an apprentice through one of our programmes! Having said that, we do have several employers within the ATAC community who have not yet recruited their first apprentice. These employers are invited to our events, kept in regular contact, and considered part of our extended network. If you are interested in ATAC, you can certainly get involved by contacting us on apprenticeshipsinfo@ct.catapult.org.uk.

How does my organisation pay for apprenticeships?

There are various methods for funding apprenticeships depending on the size of your company and where you are based in the UK. For England, the methods are via the Apprenticeship Levy (tax) for employers with an annual wage bill of over £3m, and coinvestment funding for other employers. There are also a whole series of grants and additional payments for employers that meet certain criteria. In Scotland, the training provider will obtain funding directly through Skills Development Scotland and the employer may need to pay a contribution; the employer contribution amount would depend on the apprentice’s age. Speak to us at ATAC and we will discuss your options with you.

How much do apprenticeships cost?

ATAC apprenticeships range from £8,000 – £27,000, depending on the level and duration of the programme. This price will either be drawn from your Apprenticeship Levy account (ATAC can explain this to you!), or for smaller English companies that do not pay the apprenticeship levy, you’ll be expected to pay, at most, 5% of the total price. In Scotland, the training provider will obtain funding directly through Skills Development Scotland and the employer may need to pay a contribution; the employer contribution amount would depend on the apprentice’s age and would range from zero to £2,500.

How much time do I need to commit to the apprentices’ programme?

Your organisation will need to nominate an ‘Apprentice Supervisor’. This is usually the apprentice’s line manager or a colleague in the apprentice’s direct chain of management. The supervisor will need to spend a significant amount of time, particularly in the early stages, ensuring that the apprentice is getting accustomed to the workplace and is settling into their working role. Thereafter, the supervisor will be required to attend review meetings, with the apprentice and their training provider, to ensure the apprentice is academically on-track and supported where necessary.

My apprentice is not involved specifically in advanced therapies, can we still join ATAC?

We appreciate that our offering can benefit apprentices across the life sciences industry, not just those involved in advanced therapies. We are happy to talk through the possibility of your apprentice joining ATAC. Get in touch and we can discuss how your apprentice could benefit from being part of our community.