Social care apprenticeships and All Age Apprenticeships provide a vital route into a rewarding career in social care for those who want to make a difference for people in the community who need extra help – we just need more people to know it’s an option.
That is the message from the social care workforce regulator, the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (the Social Care Council), as part of Apprentice Week 2025.
Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland give those interested in working in social care the hands-on experience they need to help them decide on a future career path. They are a way of developing new staff and providing new skills for existing staff by studying and learning through work.
For people who are an apprentice in social care, this means that they could be supporting people with of various ages and with specific needs who may require care and support in their own home or in the community.
Paul Rooney, Professional Advisor, Social Care Council said:
“Social care and All Age Apprenticeships enable on the job training – this is invaluable to a sector in need of more qualified social care practitioners. However, when people think about what apprenticeships are available, not everyone will be aware you can do an apprenticeship in social care. We want to change that, we need more people and employers to know it is an option and apply. We see our role as signposting individuals and employers to useful information so they can access the true potential of social care apprenticeships, and hopefully make it easier for them to get on their apprenticeship journey.’
Interested in a social care apprenticeship? Getting started
In Northern Ireland, you must be employed to take part in an apprenticeship programme. These programmes are funded by the Department for the Economy (DfE) and programmes are available at Level, 2, Level 3 and Higher-Level Apprenticeships from Level 4 upwards. Employers who participate in the scheme can access additional resources to support their workforce who participate.
Apprenticeships allow people to earn while they learn – gaining not just knowledge but also practical experience, skills and a recognised accredited qualification. All-age apprenticeships give people of any age the opportunity to undertake specialised qualifications as they work – previously the normal cut-off age for apprenticeships was 25 years of age.
Alongside raising the profile of social care apprenticeships, the Social Care Council is also signposting interested employers or those considering an apprenticeship to useful support information on their website.
This includes information for anyone thinking of applying for an apprenticeship, for employers, about how to gain qualifications and about the newly launched Care in Practice Framework – which will hopefully encourage and enable more people to choose social care as a career.
Select a box below to hear more…
Notes to editors:
- The Social Care Council is the regulator for social workers and social care practitioners in Northern Ireland. It is a public body established by the Department of Health to support high quality standards of social work and social care.
- The Social Care Council’s Standards of Conduct and Practice form the core regulatory framework for the social work and social care workforce.
- The Social Care Council currently has over 46,000 registrants.
- For further information or media queries please email Rita.mccullagh@niscc.hscni.net.