07/11/2025
How do apprenticeships work? An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification that’s a great way of advancing your career and building your skills, all while continuing to earn as you learn in the job you’re already doing. At Mariposa, we offer fully funded apprenticeships and qualifications for all our health and social care roles, as well as apprenticeships for team leaders and other support roles across our different departments.
Apprenticeships are available at different levels and equate to different qualifications – from Intermediate (Level 2), Advanced (Level 3), to Higher (Levels 4-6).
Yet, despite the many benefits on offer, there are still a lot of myths around what it means to study as an apprentice. This blog is an opportunity to take a look at some of these misconceptions in more detail.
Many people think that apprenticeships are for young people and school leavers. In reality, an apprenticeship at Mariposa is open to all people aged 18 and over and there is no upper age limit.
You’ll earn while you learn, developing skills and knowledge in the job you’re already doing, while accessing a clear pathway to more senior roles if this is what you choose to do.
At Mariposa, we don’t pay less if you’re under 21. We pay each member of our teams the same rate as their colleagues for the job they’re doing, regardless of age. It’s the same principle we apply to our apprentices too. Unlike other employers, we don’t pay a lower apprentice rate. Instead, you’ll continue as a Mariposa team member with the added bonus of gaining a qualification alongside your role, including protected, paid ‘off the job’ study time.
You won’t have to pay towards your apprenticeship, and if you’ve gained a qualification elsewhere and in another sector, this won’t necessarily prevent you from studying further with us. Funding is supported via a scheme called the Apprenticeship Levy – a pot of money specially set aside for this purpose. The Levy was created to allow organisations like ours to take on apprentices, so we can invest in high quality training and develop the skilled workforce we need.
Our apprenticeships are open to all members of our team, no matter if they’ve been with Mariposa for years or are just starting out in their career journey with us. We do have some eligibility criteria, but if you meet each of these, we’re happy to discuss our apprenticeship pathways with you.
To be eligible for an apprenticeship at Mariposa, you must meet the following criteria:
If you’re in a relevant role, you’ll still be more than likely able to take an apprenticeship – even if you don’t have formal qualifications. Depending on the apprenticeship level you start at, you may need additional training in English or Maths (Functional Skills) but at Mariposa this is only required for Level 4 and above. Of course, if you still want to complete a Functional Skills course alongside your apprenticeship, we’ll support you with that too.
Not only will an apprenticeship help develop your existing on the job skills, it’s also the route to unlocking real career progression and promotion opportunities. When we say we want to promote from within, we really mean it. There are many examples of people within our teams who have chosen to take an apprenticeship and thrived in more senior, management and regional management roles.
Want to discover more? If you’re already a member of the Mariposa team, why not reach out to your line manager or speak to HR to find out about next steps? If you’re interested in joining us with a view to taking an apprenticeship at a later date, take a look at all our current open roles by following the link here.