7 Differences Between Internships and Apprenticeships

Fresh graduates often look for temporary positions to help them gain exposure and experience before getting into an actual full-time job. They prefer these positions because they are tailored to their needs and especially created for new graduates. These temporary positions are usually internships or apprenticeships. While both these types of jobs are suitable for entry level candidates, they are practically different. In this article, we will understand what each of them is and how they are different from each other.

Internships are temporary work experiences that may last from 1 month to 12 months, depending on the contract. These are usually undertaken by students who are currently pursuing their studies or have graduated recently. The purpose is to get you some exposure in your field of interest.

On the other hand, apprenticeships are qualifications that are pursued in the form of on-the-job and off-the-job training. Apprentices spend about 20% of their time in off-the-job training attending classes and seminars with a university or a training institution. Apprenticeships can be intermediate, advanced, higher, or degree level which is equivalent to GCSE, A-level, foundation degree, or bachelor’s/master’s degree level of education.

Now, let’s have a look at the differences in detail below.

As mentioned earlier, apprenticeships are qualifications that are awarded after completing the required on-and-off-the-job training. It is a mix of classroom training, workshops, and in-office work experience. On the contrary, internships are more about gaining work experience. They do not result in any qualifications after completion.

In many cases, the interns may be awarded a certificate of completion but that’s all about it. Contrary, apprenticeships may end with a graduation ceremony hosted by the organisation.

As defined previously, the purpose of apprenticeships is usually served in the long term. Hence, the duration of apprenticeships is longer than internships. Depending on the contract, the internship may last about 1-12 months. The minimum duration of an apprenticeship is at least a year.

This is because apprenticeships are qualifications that help candidates hone their skills in a particular industry. Internships, on the other hand, are more about learning the basics in an industry and getting a taste of what working in a corporate setting looks like.

The average salary of an apprentice in the UK is around 19K with some opportunities offering a much higher salary. On the contrary, internships typically pay less with some offering only minimum wage. In most cases, apprentices are paid on an annual basis. Interns, however, could be paid on an hourly basis, depending on their contract.

Employers hire apprentices planning to provide them with permanent employment in the end. Hence, they are trained meticulously. Core skills that will be a part of their actual role are taught to them during their on and off-the-job training.

On the other hand, because of the nature of internships and their short tenure, the experience you can gain as an intern is comparatively less and not as practical. In many cases, interns mostly do administrative tasks or observe how things work instead of actually performing tasks. Apprentices usually do a lot more technical work during their programmes.

Classroom-based learning is an essential part of apprenticeships. They form a core component of evaluation and are mandatory to attend. Almost all apprenticeship programs require apprentices to spend at least 20% of their time in-classroom training. This may vary from program to program based on the curriculum and industry.

Internships, on the other hand, don’t have a compulsory classroom training component. However, during their tenure, they may be required to attend workshops, seminars, or training sessions as a part of the permanent staff’s training and development initiatives.

In most cases, apprenticeships lead to a full-time job. The purpose of hiring apprentices is to train and develop them while also acclimatising them to the company culture and industry know-how. Internships seldom lead to full-time jobs, although it’s not impossible. In some cases, interns may be considered for full-time roles. Yet, they are required to go through the standard recruitment process.

Apprenticeships are typically organised and structured. Based on the level of an apprenticeship, its requirements and curricula vary. Some modules may be mandatory to attend while others could be optional based on the specialisation apprentices want to choose.

Job rotations are another characteristic of apprenticeships. Job rotations refer to the process of working in different jobs for a particular period of time. For example, if it is an IT Sales apprenticeship, candidates may be required to work in different domains like Sales Lifecycle, Product Management, or Account Management rotating every few months.

Conversely, internships are semi-structured or unstructured. The broad goals of the internship may be defined but it does not necessarily follow a set structure. For instance, if it is an HR internship, some core responsibilities could be conducting the first rounds of interviews, doing some admin work, or assisting in a training and development initiative. However, the intern may perform some or all of these tasks depending on the business needs. Also, they may be required to support other departments, too if required.