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The Coolest Apprenticeships You Didn't Know Existed

Published on: 2 Mar 2021

Apprenticeships are a great way to get into the career of your choice when you have little to no experience – no matter how outlandish that choice is! The following are some of the coolest and most unusual apprenticeships we’ve found that you didn't know existed.

Zookeeper

Zookeeper Apprenticeship

You generally don’t need a degree to get into zoo keeping, though they will expect that you have some experience working with animals, and eventually it might be required for you to complete a course for animal care or management. You can usually gain said experience by volunteering, or joining an apprenticeship scheme, which offers practical on-the-job training. Check with your local zoos to see if they have any schemes you can join – they generally are competitive, so it’s good to get your application in early.

Costume

Costume and Wardrobe Apprenticeship

Lights, camera… action! If you have a creative eye, know how to work a sewing machine, and are looking to get into film, TV, or theatre, then a costume and wardrobe apprenticeship might be a good fit (no pun intended). There are two levels offered by gov.uk: intermediate and advanced. The former focuses on the more technical aspects – such as making and altering clothes, sourcing material, as well as searching for hired costumes and accessories. If you apprentice at a more advanced level, you’ll be dealing with the more conceptual aspects of costume design, which will involve the researching of clothes and accessories for a given time period or place, as well as contributing to the director’s vision.

To get you started, check out the Royal Opera House apprenticeship scheme.

broadcast

Broadcast Apprenticeship

As a broadcast apprentice, you have the opportunity to specialise in technology or production. The broadcast technology apprenticeship means you’ll get to work behind the scenes as an engineer, making sure that everything runs to schedule and is of the highest possible quality. The production apprenticeship focuses on the logistics involved – everything from managing budget to booking locations to working with talent. The BBC and Channel 4 currently offer apprenticeships in these areas, which are great ways to get into broadcast production without studying a degree.

music

Music Business Apprenticeship

It can be tough to hack it in the music biz, but you can now train through gov.uk to become a music publishing assistant – so if preparing and managing artist agreements and contracts (without having to become a solicitor!) sounds like your jam, then this is the gig for you. The advanced-level apprenticeship will equip you with all the legal knowledge required when it comes to publishing and copyright laws; but if you’re not interested in the legal element of the music business, you can also become a marketing, promotions or publicist assistant through their intermediate apprenticeship scheme. Sounds glamorous, right?

design

Design Apprenticeship

As a design apprentice, you can specialise in graphic, multimedia, interior, fashion, textile, product, or furniture design (just to name a few!) This is the perfect apprenticeship for anyone who wants to be a graphic designer, interior decorator, merchandiser, and the like.

Depending on the type of apprenticeship, you’ll usually assist a team of designers in addition to building up your technical skills and flexing your creativity. This apprenticeship tends to consist of more artistic roles and doesn’t focus on engineering or technical design (though there are apprenticeships out there which cater to this).

Cabin crew

Cabin Crew Apprenticeship

If you’d like for your career to take flight (both figuratively and literally!) then cabin crew apprenticeships allow you the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills necessary to do the job – everything from preparing the inside of the aircraft to making sure the right safety equipment is in place. You’ll also learn important information pertaining to immigration and how to complete flight reports. While the hours might be erratic and the shifts long, you’ll still have the chance to see the world – not a bad deal!

 

We might not offer all of the above, but we still have thousands of exciting graduate and apprentice opportunities on site. Start your search today, and don’t forget to upload your CV and sign up for job alerts to find out about the latest apprenticeships in your area.