Who can apply for a funded programme

You can apply if you are 19 or over, employed and paid through your employer's payroll (PAYE), do at least half your working hours in England, have the right to work in the UK, and meet the government's residency rules.

The main rules

• Age: 19 or over, with no upper limit.
• Employment: you are an employee on your employer's payroll. A fixed-term contract is fine if it runs to the end of your programme, including the end-point assessment (the final assessment).
• Where you work: at least 50% of your working hours are in England, including if you work remotely or hybrid. It is about where you work, not where you live.
• Right to work: you have the right to work in the UK, confirmed during onboarding.
• Residency: if you are not a UK national, you have usually lived in the UK for the last 3 years, not mainly to study. Different rules cover people with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and refugees. Your admissions rep checks your case.
• Other funding: you are not already on another apprenticeship, a government-funded Skills Bootcamp, or a course paid for by student finance.
• Your job: it regularly involves the work your programme covers, since you are assessed on your real work.
• Your employer: agrees to release about 6 hours a week in your working hours and signs up with us.

Self-employed, freelance or company director

Self-employed and freelance work don't qualify, nor does contracting through your own company. If you are a director, a shareholder or a person with significant control of the company (usually more than 25% of the shares or votes), you can only take part if someone else in the organisation is your line manager. Our online application can't check this, so send us a message at io-sphere.io/contact-us and an admissions rep will check your case.

Not working at the moment

You need to be in a job to apply. If not, a funded Skills Bootcamp may suit you. They run region by region and open at set times: see our Skills Bootcamps page.

Qualifications and study

• You don't need a degree or a technical background. GCSE English and maths (or equivalent) help but aren't required: everyone takes our English, maths and digital skills assessments during onboarding.
• If you already hold a qualification substantially similar to the one you would study, you may not be eligible.
• During onboarding you list your prior qualifications and take short English, maths and digital skills assessments. Anything you already know can shorten your plan.

Not sure?

Your admissions rep checks your eligibility on your 15-minute admissions call; we confirm it from your documents during onboarding.